


In a Dream

by Mymidnightmellody



Series: Teen Wolf [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Empath, Erica Reyes Lives, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, trigger warning for attempted suicide in chapter 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:29:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 54,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mymidnightmellody/pseuds/Mymidnightmellody
Summary: Juliet, Stiles and Scott are overwhelmed when a pack of alphas and a dark druid committing human sacrifices show up at the beginning of the new school year. Follows canon season 3A of Teen Wolf. (mostly)
Relationships: Stiles Stilinski/OC, Stiles Stilinski/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Teen Wolf [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002126
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

"Stiles, you wanna see something cool?" I asked as we got out of the Jeep.

Stiles had driven us to the Preserve, confused about the location of the random clearing in the forest I had him park in.

"Is it more of your weird emotion thing?" Stiles asked with a smirk.

I scoffed, yes it was weird. During the summer, Deaton and I had discovered I was an empath. All werewolves could sense emotions using chemo-signals, smells the body made relating to stress or fear. But my gift went a little farther than that. I was able to lightly alter peoples emotions. If someone was sad, I could gently sooth them, help ease any distress.

Stiles leaned back against his Jeep, looking unfairly attractive in his jeans and red plaid shirt, opened over a plain grey tshirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. My gaze slid higher, taking in his hair, long enough now to be styled with gel. I bit my lip as I remembered the many, many times I had slid my hands through his hair while making out.

"Hello, Earth to Juliet." Stiles said. I blinked at him, shaking myself out of my thoughts.

"Sorry." I replied with a sheepish grin. I walked closer to him. I flared my nose and let his current mood wash over me. Happy, with a little bit of fatigue underneath. He must of had a rough night sleeping. 

I gently wrapped my hands around his wrists. It worked better with skin on skin contact. I closed my eyes. "Okay, tell me what emotion this is." I muttered as I focused on his mood.

I pushed thoughts of running through a dark forest, knowing something is after you but not being able to locate it, at Stiles. I listened to his heart as it sped up, his breathing getting heavier and his skin under my hands becoming sweaty.

"Fear." He replied in a shaky breath. I opened my eyes to see his wide with terror, tears glistening in the corners.

I quickly pushed the mood away, running my hands up and down his forearms soothingly as I pushed happy feelings at him. His heart slowly returning to a normal rate.

"Juliet, that's incredible." Stiles said and I nodded excitedly. "Does it work if you're not touching the person? This would be useful in a fight but I doubt any enemies would let you take the time to touch them."

I frowned slightly. "I don't know, I've never tried it."

"Try it now." Stiles encouraged. I released his arms and took a few steps back. I closed my eyes again, focusing on Stiles' familiar presence, and pushed feelings of wanting to consume, to be so utterly wrapped up in someone that you forgot everything else.

"What am I supposed to be feeling?" Stiles asked after a few minutes.

I huffed out a breath and opened my eyes, taking in Stiles leaning against the Jeep, the sunlight filtering through the leaves turning his eyes a warm honey gold. "Turned on." I admitted, feeling a warm blush spread across my cheeks.

"Oh, well that's the problem." Stiles said as he pushed himself off the Jeep and started walking towards me. "I'm always at least 40% turned on when you're around already."

I smirked as he got close enough for me to wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh really?" I teased. "Only 40%?" 

Stiles chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist, one hand disappearing into the tangle of long hair at my back. "Sometimes it's more, depending on what you're wearing."

I threw my head back and let out a laugh. Stiles' lips attached to my now exposed neck and my laugh changed to a low groan. 

I laced my hands through Stiles' hair and lifted his mouth up to mine. My phone buzzed in my pocket as his warm lips slid over mine. 

After a few long moments of kissing, Stiles' hands slipped under my shirt, palms hot on my back, my phone buzzed again.

I sighed and took it out. Scott had texted me asking where we were. I looked around and noticed the sun was setting, the pink clouds half visible through the heavy foliage.

"Come on, we gotta go pick Scott up from work." I said in a breathy voice and Stiles' mouth had found its way back to my neck, his teeth grazing across my jaw lightly before pulling away with a sigh. 

"Fine, but we're continuing this later." Stiles said as we started towards his Jeep.

"Oh, are we?" I teased with a smile. 

Stiles' eyes roamed over me, probably taking in my messy hair and flushed cheeks. "Definitely." He replied in a rough voice.

"Can I drive?" I asked, as well as understanding my empath powers better, during the summer I also got my license. Stiles nodded and tossed me the keys.

We got in the car and drove to pick Scott up from work. Deaton let him leave his shift early tonight so he could get to his tattoo appointment.

"I still can't believe Mom is letting you get a tattoo." I said, looking at Scott in the rearview mirror as we drove to the tattoo place.

Scott shrugged with a smile. I turned my gaze back to the road with a half hearted eyeroll. I was secretly glad Mom agreed to let Scott get his tattoo. Our relationship with her was rocky for a bit after she found out we were werewolves, but agreeing to this was a sign of trust, that she was trusting us to make responsible choices. 

I parked the Jeep and we all got out, the smell of disinfection hit me the second we opened the door to the shop, strangely reminding me of the hospital.

Scott sat in the chair and handed his reference picture to the artist, the neon lights around the window illuminated the surprisingly cozy room.

"Boy, it's a good thing you drew me a picture." The tattoo artist said in a dry voice.

I peered over his shoulder and bit back a laugh at Scott's drawing. It was just two thick bands he wanted tattooed around his bicep, the top one thicker than the other.

"Hey, Scott, sure you don't want something like this?" said Stiles, holding up binder, it was a sketch of a lizard man, it did look suspiciously like the kanima. Scott and I raised an eyebrow at him, "Too soon? Yeah." He flipped through another few pages of the binder. "I don't know, man, are you sure about this? I mean, these things are pretty permanent, you know?" He passed the book to me. I flipped through it, admiring the artists' work. The skull designs weren't for me, but some of the artist's flower sketches were pretty.

"I'm not changing my mind." Scott said.

"Okay, but why two bands?" I asked, looking up from the book.

Scott gave a small shrug. "I just like it."

"But don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning, you know, or something?" Stiles asked.

"Getting a tattoo means something."

"I don't think that's..."

"He's right, tattooing goes back thousands of years." The tattoo artist said, not looking up from where he was preparing the tattoo gun. "The tahitian word "tatua" means "to leave a mark." Like a rite of passage." 

"Yeah, you see? He gets it." Scott said.

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest. "He's covered in tattoos, Scott, literally."

"Okay, you ready? You ain't got any problems with needles, do you?" The tattooist asked, lowering the buzzing needle to Scott's arm.

"Nope." Scott replied.

"I tend to get a little squeamish though, so..." Stiles was saying, but as the needle started going, Stiles' eyes rolled back into his head and he fainting. I grabbed him by the waist and sat him down in a nearby chair before he could fall over and hit his head.

"Oh, man." Scott said, wincing slightly at the pain.

After it was over, the three of us piled back into the Jeep. 

Scott sat in the passenger seat, his face contorting in pain.

"You okay?" I asked from the backseat, eyeing the white bandage wrapped around Scott's arm.

"Kinda burns." Scott replied.

"Yes, you just had your skin stabbed about 100,000 times with a needle." Stiles said, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's supposed to feel like this." Scott said.

Scott's body tensed up with pain then. " Oh god, no, it's definitely not supposed to feel like this. Oh, I gotta take this thing off." He said through gritted teeth.

"No, no, no, no, Scott. Oh, Scott, please stop." Stiles was pleading as Scott unwound the bandage.

I watched the chaos in silence. The tattooed area was red as expected, the bands looking too faint. The tattoo slowly faded, before vanishing completely. Scott's arm returning to its normal colour. "Whoa." I muttered.

"Oh, no, what? No, no, come on. It healed." Scott said, sounding horrified.

"Ah, thank God. I hated it." Stiles said, letting out a breath. Scott shot him a look. "Sorry." 

Scott sighed and Stiles turned the Jeep on, starting the drive back to our house.

As we drove, Scott was telling us about how he hadn't talked to Allison all summer. The break-up had been hard on both of them, but it helped that Allison had spent the summer in France with her dad.

"So you haven't talked to her at all?" I asked.

"Nah, we agreed to give each other the summer... no texts, no calls." Scott said as we stopped at a red light. The road was deserted except for a car next to us.

"So then how do you know she won't be back at school then?" Stiles asked.

"After everything that happened, I'm not sure she's coming back at all." Scott replied.

My gaze slid to the car next to us, and surprise, in the car was Lydia and Allison, laughing together.

"I think she is." I said. 

Stiles' gaze followed mine. "Yeah, I'd say pretty definite, you know. Like one hundred percent." He said, pointing at the car.

Scott's eyes narrowing in confusion before looking to where Stiles was pointing.

Allison glanced over and the smile on her face dropped away. Scott immediately tried to sink down farther into the seat. "Oh, my God."

"Can we just drive please, Stiles?" Scott asked, face turned away from Lydia and Allison

"Scott, it's a red light." I said. The red light did seem to taking a long time to change.

"I think we should talk to her, I just think we should say something." Stiles said, leaning over Scott to roll his window now.

"No. No, no, Stiles, come on. Oh, my God, dude, no." Scott protested.

"Hey!" Stiles called over, but the instant the light turned green, Lydia's car sped away from us

Stiles looked between Scott and I. "You know, they probably didn't see us." He started driving.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked as we trailed behind Lydia and Allison.

"I'm driving." Stiles replied.

"We're right behind them." Scott groaned. We weren't even that close to them.

"Okay, well, do you see any turns?"

"I don't want it to look like we're following them."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Stiles shot back.

"I don't know, anything." Scott replied in a panicked voice.

Stiles seemed to consider what to do, before slamming on the breaks, his Jeep screeching to a stop in the middle of the street.

A second later, Lydia's car came to a stop as well.

The three of us looked at each other, confused. Suddenly, a deer came flying down the road, and smashed headfirst right into Lydia's windshield. I heard the two of them scream as we all scrambled out of the Jeep.

Lydia and Allison quickly exited the car, backing away from the shattered car. 

"Are you okay?" Scott asked as Allison walked to him.

"It came out of nowhere." Lydia muttered.

"Are you hurt?" I asked them. I couldn't smell any blood on them so they must have been okay.

"It ran right into us." Lydia said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked again.

Allison nodded. "I'm okay."

"Well, I'm not okay. I am totally freaking out." Lydia said, Stiles and I both wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. "How the hell does it just run into us? I saw its eyes right before it hit us. It was like it... it was like it was crazy." She was trembling slightly.

Scott slowly approached the front of the car, where the body of the deer was hanging off the hood. "No, it was scared." Scott reached a hand out and gently touched the deers bloodied neck, he turned and met my eyes, I could smell the deer's final emotion from where I was. "Actually, terrified."

We looked down the long expanse of dark road, the nearly full moon shining down, wondering what the hell could have scared this deer that badly.

Scott called a tow truck for Lydia, and the five of us piled into Stiles' Jeep. The mood in the car was tense, everyone's anxiety was sky high. With my legs pressed to Lydia's and Allison's, the three of us smushed tightly in the backseat, I gently worked their moods down, trying to settle their nerves a little.

We dropped Scott, Lydia and Allison at their homes. Stiles and I sat in silence as we drove to his house. 

When we arrived, Stiles bounded up the stairs before me. I took my time getting my pajamas on, but when I went into Stiles' room, he was furiously typing away on his laptop.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a yawn, settling under the covers.

"Looking up deer accidents." He replied, eyes scanning the screen.

I groaned and rolled over to face him. "Stiles, tomorrow is the first day of school, can you please wait to do that in the morning."

He looked over at me then, and saw how exhausted I was. Altering peoples' emotions took a lot out of me.

Without saying a word, he closed the laptop, got dressed in his pajamas and laid in bed next to me. 

I sighed happily and rested my arm over his stomach, cuddling in close to his side and falling asleep.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The next morning, I woke up to the clacking of a keyboard, I groaned and rolled over, directly into a beam of light shining through the window.

I threw my arm over my eyes to block the light. "God, what time is it?" 

"About 6:30." Stiles replied.

I groaned again and threw the blanket over my face. After another few minutes of dozing, I got up and got dressed. I went downstairs to get some food and the Sheriff was sitting at the dining table, drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"'Morning Juliet," He greeted as I rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a half empty jug of orange juice.

"Morning Mr. Stilinski." I said, grabbing a glass from the cupboards.

"You know, you can call me John." He said.

I took a sip of my orange juice. "I thought your name was Noah?"

The Sheriff got out of his chair with a small groan. "It is, but I prefer going by my middle name."

I smiled at him "Okay."

"Is my son awake?" He asked as we walked up the stairs together.

"Yep."

"Is he at all ready to leave for school?"

I chuckled. "Nope."

We went into Stiles' room and I picked up my bag, making sure I had everything.

Stiles was still typing away at his laptop as his dad crossed his arms in the doorway.

"You know how many vehicle collisions last year involved deer? 247,000." Stiles said, scanning the screen.

I sat down on the bed and watched them talk.

The Sheriff gave a small shake of his head. "Oh, God, please go to school."

Stiles continued as if his dad hadn't spoken. "But that's crossing the road. This one last night came right down the middle."

The Sheriff came into the room to stand behind Stiles. "I'm not gonna beg you."

I huffed out a laugh from my place on the bed.

"Okay, good. I'm impervious to your influence anyway." Stiles replied.

"Would you consider a bribe?"

"You couldn't meet my price."

"Extortion?"

"You got nothing on me." Stiles replied.

"Juliet?" The Sheriff asked, looking at his wits end.

I just shrugged.

John took hold of the computer chair Stiles was sitting in and started pulling it away from the desk.

"Dad, what are you doing? Dad, what are you doing?" Stiles demanded, as his hands flailed out to reach the keyboard. He leaned over too far and fell off the chair. 

"See ya after school kids." The Sheriff said before leaving, a smug smile on his face.

I stood up and helped Stiles off the floor. I closed the laptop and handed it to Stiles as he picked up his bag.

"Here, you keep looking," I picked up Stiles' car keys. "I'll drive."

"You're amazing." Stiles said, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

I smiled sweetly. "I know."

When we got to school, we met up with Scott in the hallway. He was telling us how he wanted to go see Derek about his tattoo issue.

"You wanna ask Derek for help? Why, why?" Stiles said, he still didn't trust Derek that much.

"He's got the triskele tattooed on his back. So there has to be a way to do it without healing, right?" Scott replied.

"Okay, yeah, but still, doesn't he have his hands a little full?" Stiles said, stopping outside the principal's office to look at the missing persons posters of Erica and Boyd.

After Chris Argent let them go, they disappeared.

We watched as the Principal in his office spoke to someone. "Look, these are the applications for the career advisor. I need them sorted. And whatever happened to the library while I was gone, I want it cleared up. And what the hell is this?" He picked up a sword, obviously left over from Gerard's brief time as principal.

I looked between Stiles and Scott. "Go, go, go." Stiles said, ushering us away from the door.

We walked into our English class, and sat down. Lydia and Allison walked in a few minutes later, I smiled at Lydia as she sat down next to me. 

I watched as Allison and Scott had an awkward interaction, the only open seat left was in front of Scott, and Allison looked like she'd rather fight Peter off with a butter knife than sit near Scott.

She sat down and Stiles gave Scott an encouraging thumbs up. I thought about offering to switch seats with her, multiple phones in the room chimed out at once. I took my phone out of my pocket, confused at the number that had texted me.

""The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway", leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."" A pretty brunette lady walked into the room, wearing a pencil skirt and heels that must have been killing her feet already. She was holding a phone in her hand, reading exactly what had been texted to us. "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone." She said with a friendly smile. 

As we started doing work, the principal walked in to whisper to our teacher, Ms. Blake.

"Mr. McCall?" She said, Scott and I looked up. Scott shrugged at me as he packed up his stuff and followed her out to the hallway. I stared at the open doorway as she talked to Scott. Mom had called Scott to come to the hospital. As she talked, I texted Scott asking him if Mom was okay. I knew he'd reply after getting to the hospital.

"Hey, Lydia. What is that?" Stiles said, my attention snapped back to him and I followed his gaze, Lydia had a big bandaid on near her ankle.

"Is that from the accident?" I asked.

"No. Prada bit me." She replied.

"Your dog?" Stiles asked.

"No, my designer handbag." She said and I rolled my eyes. "Yes, my dog."

"Has it ever bitten you before?" I asked, turning more in my seat to face her.

She shook her head.

"Okay. What if it's, like, the same thing as the deer? You know, like, how animals start acting weird right before an earthquake or something?" Stiles suggested.

"Meaning what? There's gonna be an earthquake?"

"Or something. I just... maybe it means something's coming. Something bad." Stiles said.

"It was a deer and a dog. What's that thing you say about threes? Once, twice..." I said, but was cut off when a bird slammed into the classroom window, leaving a smear of blood behind. 

Another bird hit, then another, the glass cracking. Movement outside the window caught my attention. I looked up and saw a huge flock of crows rapidly approaching the window.

The birds hit the window so hard, the glass shattered, the room descended into chaos as birds and bits of glass flew around the room. People screamed, diving under their desks as protection. I grabbed Stiles by the arm and tackled him into Lydia, shielding them with as much as my body as I could.

"Get down, everyone! Get down, down. Get down! Get down!" Ms. Blake yelled, throwing herself over nearby students.

The birds squawking filled the room as they pecked at people, pulled at peoples hair. I batted one away as it tried pecking at Stiles. 

Within minutes, the room settled into a tense silence. Slowly, I unwrapped myself from Lydia and Stiles. I stood up and took in the sight of now dead birds laying across the desks and floor, feathers and blood covered everything. 

Stiles stood up and together we helped Lydia up. "What the actual hell." I breathed out, taking Stiles' hand in mine. 

The police and ambulances arrived moments later.

I stood in Stiles' arms, he was leaning against a desk. He had a small cut near his hairline. 

My gaze slid up, to see Ms. Blake breathing heavy, eyes unfocused. Her face had a couple scratches on it. "Ms. Blake? You okay?" I asked, stepping out of Stiles' arms. I saw she had a feather stuck in her hair and I reached up slowly to pull it out. She flinched at first but then gave me a gentle smile. "Uh, sorry, just... that." I let the feather drop to the floor and rejoined Stiles.

The Sheriff walked in the room then. "Are you two okay?" He asked us.

"Yeah Dad, we're fine." Stiles replied.

Chris had shown up to comfort Allison. They were talking about the deer and the Sheriff went over to talk to them.

"Mr. Argent, you wouldn't have any insight into this, would you?"

"Me?" Chris asked, feigning innocence.

"Yeah. All this bizarre animal behavior, it's... you must have seen something like this before, right?"

"I'm not sure why I would or why you would think I would."

"I'm sorry. I-I could've sworn I overheard my son talking about how you were an experienced hunter." He said, looking back at Stiles. 

Stiles ducked his head and pretended to read something on his phone.

"Ah, right. Well, not anymore."

"You all right?" The Sheriff asked Allison.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Stiles called Scott again, who actually answered this time. "We got a serious problem at school. Ms. Blake's class..." He started but Scott cut him off.

I leaned in closer to hear Scott's reply. "Hey, can you tell me about it later?" Scott sounded like he was in a hurry somewhere.

"Well, no, pretty sure this qualifies for immediate discussion." Stiles replied.

"OK then meet me at Derek's"

I took the phone from Stiles. "Derek's house? What the hell are you doing at..."

"Just meet us here, okay?" Scott said before hanging up.

I handed Stiles back his phone. "Oh sure, skip the rest of the day that's fine, it's only the first day of school."

Stiles huffed out a laugh and we picked up our bags. We sneaked past the Sheriff and his deputies before they could ask where we were going.

As Stiles drove, I took the first aid kit out and gently cleaned away the blood on his forehead.

We got to Derek's in time to see Scott shrugging off his coat. Isaac was laying on a nearby table, passed out cold.

"Is Isaac okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, but an alpha tried kidnapping him." Scott said as he sat down and Derek crouched in front of him. He must have asked Derek to take a look at his disappearing tattoo.

Oh yeah, totally fine then.

Derek's eyes flashed red for a second. "Yeah, I see it. It's two bands, right?" He said in a soft voice, his eyes fading back to his normal light green. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know. It's just something I traced with my fingers." Scott said as he drew it in the dust collected on the table.

"Why is this so important to you?" Derek asked.

"Do you know what the word "tattoo" means?" Scott said.

"To mark something." Stiles said, flashing Derek a proud smile when he glanced at him over his shoulder.

"Well, that's in tahitian." Scott continued. "In samoan, it means "open wound."I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned 18. I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward."

"For what?" I asked.

"For not calling or texting Allison all summer. Even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was trying to give her the space she wants. Goin' four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a, uh..."

"Like an open wound." Stiles offered.

"Yeah." 

"The pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt." Derek said, taking out a blowtorch.

"Ah, that's great." Stiles said and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Do it." Scott said, hands clutching the chair arms.

Derek lit the torch. "Oh, wow. That's a... that's a lot for me." Stiles said. "So I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna wait outside." 

But as Stiles went to leave, Derek's hand shot out to stop him. "Nope. You can help Juliet hold him down."

Stiles swallowed thickly. "Oh, my God."

Stiles and I stood on either side of Scott, and pressed down on Scott's shoulders.

"Hold him." Derek instructed as he lowered the flame to Scott's arm.

Scott cried out in pain, writhing under Stiles' and mine's grip, his eyes flashing gold and his fang sliding out. The tattoo slowly reappeard. Don't ask me how fire made the tattoo reappear, but who am I to argue with supernatural logic.

Scott slumped back in the chair when Derek was done, covered in sweat. A few moments later he woke up with a gasp. Scott admired his arm. "It worked!"

Scott put his shirt back on and we walked towards the front door. "Well, it looks pretty damn permanent now." Stiles said as Scott slid his sleeve down over the tattoo.

"Yeah. I kind of needed something permanent. Everything that's happened to us... everything just changes so fast. Everything's so, uh... Ephemeral." Scott said.

"Studying for the psats?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yep."

"Nice." 

Scott opened the door to leave, but stopped to look at it. "You painted the door." He said, looking at the new paint on Derek's front door. "Why'd you paint the door?"

"Go home." Derek said, sounding exhausted.

"And why only one side?" 

"Scott." Derek warned, moving away from Isaac towards us.

Scott's claws slid out and he scratched the paint off Derek's door, revealing a symbol similar to the triskelion tattooed on Derek's back. A triple spiral, but this one more pointed, more sinister looking.

"The birds at school and the deer last night... just like the night I got trampled by the deer when I got bit by the Alpha. How many are there?" Scott asked. He had briefly told us about the alpha that attacked him at the hospital, and that they had tried to kidnap Isaac.

"A pack of 'em. An Alpha pack." Derek said.

"All of them? How does that even work?" I asked.

"I hear there's some kind of a leader. He's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica." Derek said and I felt anger rising up inside me. So that's why no one had seen Erica and Boyd for months. "Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for him for the last four months." Derek continued.

"Let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack?" Scott asked.

"With all the help I can get." Derek replied.

"Where is she? Where's the girl?" We turned to see Isaac sitting up on the table now.

"What girl?" Derek asked.

Isaac explained how he was attacked by some crazy alpha that was actually two wolves who could merge together, and the girl who saved him.

Derek sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, you three, it's late go home." He said to Stiles, Scott and I.

Stiles drove us home. I gave Stiles a quick kiss and went inside. I decided to spend the night at home. I changed and slid into bed, falling into a fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, I gave myself one last look in the mirror before going downstairs. Scott and Stiles were already in the Jeep. I greeted Stiles with a brief kiss before he turned the Jeep on and drove us across town to the party. Stiles insisted we go to his friend's 17th birthday party. 

The drive there was silent, but as Stiles parked and we all got out, he spoke up.

"What?" He said to Scott.

"What, what do you mean, "what"?" Scott replied as we walked down the street.

"I mean "what," and you know what."

""What" what?"

I rolled my eyes at them.

"That look you were giving." Stiles said.

"I didn't give a look."

"Oh, there was a distinct look, Scott." I said.

"What look?" Scott asked.

"The look that says that the last thing you feel like doing right now is going to a party." Stiles replied accusingly.

"It's not that. It just seems weird going to a different high school's party." Scott said with a shrug.

"What? Would you...," Stiles stopped with a groan. "God, one drink, all right? You'll be fine. I went to nursery school with this girl, okay? She promised to introduce you to all of her friends. So tonight, no Allison okay. Tonight, you're moving on."

"You're right." Scott said, but I could see that he had a missed call from Allison, and that he was dying to call her back. He sighed and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

"That's right I'm right."

"Moving on."

"Onward and upward." Stiles said as we crossed the street and stopped in front of the house.

"Let's do this."

"That's what I'm talking about."

"How's my breath smell?" Scott asked as we walked into the house.

"I'm not smelling your breath." Stiles replied, lacing his fingers through mine.

"Do you have any gum?" Scott asked.

"No. No gum. You're fine." Stiles said and I laughed.

"Can you at least tell me what kind of party this is?" Scott asked as we entered the foyer of the house, the bass of the music pounded through the air, shaking the floor. 

"It's Heather's birthday party okay." I said, though to be fair I was shocked that the three of us were invited, we hung out with Heather a little in the past, but recently with all the supernatural shit going on, it was hard to find time to hang out with people.

"Stiles!" A voice greeted. Heather came flying out of the living room, pushing past a group of people to throw her arms around Stiles. "You guys made it!" She pulled back and noticed Stiles' and mine hands linked together. "Oh my god, are you two dating?"

I nodded, feeling a big smile spread across my face.

"Awesome! I have some questions for you." She said, taking my other hand and dragging me away from Stiles and Scott.

She pulled me to a corner of the living room, the music much louder in here. Her friend Danielle was waiting there, a plastic cup of cheap smelling alcohol in hand.

Heather turned to face me, her face serious. "Have you and Stiles done it yet?" 

"Done what?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.

"You know, it," She said, eyes flitting around the room. "Sex."

"Oh." I said. "Um, yeah we have."

A wide smile spread across her face. "Okay awesome. What's it like?" Her and Danielle watched me expectantly.

"Well, it's kinda awkward at first but um, really nice feeling actually." I said, I never had the chance to talk about boys with any girl friends, so this felt nice.

Heather clapped happily. "Good, because tonight, I want to lose my virginity. I don't want to be a virgin anymore, and I need your guys' help finding the best guy."

Danielle and I looked at each other. "Okay," Danielle said, eyes scanning the crowd for cute guys.

"What about him?" Heather asked, pointing to Danny, who was laughing with his arm around his current boyfriend.

"Nope, he's gay." I replied and Heather huffed out a breath.

"Him?" Danielle said, referring to Greenberg. I don't even know how he got invited to this party.

"Definitely not." I said.

My eyes scanned the room, briefly stopping to spot Stiles and Scott across the room, talking to players from Heather's schools' lacrosse team. Stiles noticed me staring and gave me a quick smile before returning his attention to the conversation. 

Heather noticed us and said "You guys are too cute."

I felt myself blush and continued looking around the room. "Oh, how about him?" I said, looking at one of the lacrosse players from Beacon Hills. "His name is Ryan and my friend Lydia told me that he's a great kisser." They both gave me a look of confusion. "She's made out with most of our lacrosse team." I clarified. 

Heather nodded and fluffed her blonde hair. "Okay, I'm going in." Before leaving, she leaned in close as if to tell me a secret. "By the way, if you and Stiles wanna hook up, my brother keeps condoms in the upstairs bathroom." 

I laughed. "Good to know, thanks."

She smiled and skipped away from Danielle and I. I watched as she slid in between Ryan and the guy he was talking to, throwing her hair over her shoulder and laughing at something he said.

My eyes found Stiles in the crowd again. I bit my lip as I watched the grey sweater he was wearing stretch and shift across his chest.

"Go." Danielle said next to me, "Go dance with your stupid hot boyfriend."

"Are you sure?" I said, meeting her gaze. 

"Yes,"

Without another thought, I pushed off the wall and made my way to Stiles, passing Heather as she laughed loudly and slid her hand down Ryan's arm.

I took Stiles' hand as I passed and spun him around and into my arms. "Hi stupid hot boyfriend." I greeted with a smile as he tripped over his own feet for a second before he rested his hands on my waist. I pulled him into a less crowded corner, away from the loud music and drunk teenagers.

"Excuse me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed. "Nothing, just something Danielle said." I arched up, pressing my lips to his. I meant to keep the kiss light, but as soon as our mouths met, I felt myself pressing closer.

Stiles' hand moved to my waist, his fingertips sliding under my shirt. He stopped kissing me then and I pulled back to look at him.

"What?" I asked breathlessly.

"I thought this was a dress." He replied, his voice was rough. His eyes were glued to where his hand was resting under my shirt.

I let out a small laugh as his hand tightened on my bare skin. "No, it's a skirt and a shirt."

His eyes flicked up to mine briefly before settling on my lips. He leaned in and kissed me hard, knocking the air from my lungs. His other hand came up to tilt my head to the side, his mouth moving over my neck. I laughed again.

"Is me in a skirt a new turn on for you?" I asked, sliding my hand into his hair. His hips bumped into mine and I held back a groan.

"Fuck yes." He muttered before biting down on my shoulder.

"The-the bathroom." I managed.

"What?"

"Heather told me her brother keeps condoms in the upstairs bathroom." I said.

Stiles met my eyes, a mischievous glint in his own warm amber eyes. "Bathroom it is.

He grabbed my hand and weaved us through the throng of drunk dancing teenagers. I took a second to press Stiles up against the railing, molding my body to his and kissing him hard.

He looked dazed when I pulled back and I continued up the stairs, him trailing inches behind me. 

Thankfully, the bathroom door was wide open. We stumbled inside and Stiles wasted no time slamming the door closed and hoisting me up on the counter next to the sink. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled his hips flush to mine. 

Stiles pulled back to rummage through the drawers next to my legs, I took the chance to run my hands down his arms. The grey sweater he was wearing really showed off how nice his arms are.

"Aha!" He exclaimed a second later, holding up the package between us. I took it from him and read the label.

"Extra extra large?" I said, casting my eyes down. "Really?"

"Hey!" He said, hands sliding higher and higher on my thighs, skirt bunching up around his wrists. "It should still work right?"

My body felt flushed and too warm, so I really didn't care to argue anymore. I tilted my head up, reconnecting our lips.

As we kissed, something buzzed against my inner leg. I realized it was Stiles' phone in his pocket, pressed between us.

As Stiles' hand slid into my shirt, fingers finding their way under my bra, I took the phone from his pocket and answered it.

"Do I even want to know where the two of you disappeared to?" Scott asked before I had the chance to say hello. Stiles nipped at my neck and I held back a groan.

"No, you don't." I replied, fisting a hand in Stiles' hair to lift his face back up to mine so I could glare at him, he winked at me, sending a wave of heat through my chest.

"Okay, well Allison and Lydia are here, they have to show us something, meet us out front." Scott said before hanging up.

"Rain check?" Stiles asked breathlessly, my eyes followed his tongue as it traced a path over his red lips.

"Definitely." I replied. I tucked the condom still clutched in my hand into his jeans pocket. Stiles helped me off the counter and I readjusted my skirt and ran a hand through my hair, hoping it wasn't a giant mess.

As we left the bathroom, Ryan rushed past us, his hair sticking up in all directions. I could smell the arousal coming off him. 

Guess Heather got her wish. 

I heard him rummaging around loudly in the drawers as we made our way down the stairs and outside to meet Scott.

We stepped outside, the night air refreshing against my flushed skin.

"What's up?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too out of breath.

Allison and Lydia held out their arms, where half a pattern was marked onto each of their arms, they placed their arms together, the mark made some sort of eight pointed symbol.

"Okay, well what does the symbol mean?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"We don't know." Allison said, lowering her arm. "We were hoping one of you guys recognized it."

I shook my head. "Nope, never seen it before." 

Ryan walked up to us then, looking irritated. "Have any of you seen Heather?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"We were down in the wine cellar, about to, you know. I left to get a condom and when I got back, she was gone."

"Maybe she changed her mind?" Stiles suggested.

"Maybe." Ryan muttered. "Anyways, I'll see you guys at practice tomorrow." Ryan jogged across the street and got in his car and left.

Allison and Lydia waved by and made their way back to Allison's car to leave.

Scott rubbed a hand down his face. "Okay, Stiles, I had my one drink, I talked to 2 girls, can we go home now."

Stiles sighed. "Fine."

After parking in our driveway, Scott waved bye and headed inside.

I got out and was stopped when Stiles leaned back against the Jeep, the side facing the woods not the house, in case Mom was home and was watching us.

He hooked his hands around the backs of my thighs and drew me into the warm circle of his arms. "We got interrupted earlier." 

I smiled as he lowered his mouth to my neck, biting on it before soothing it over with a quick lick.

I hummed happily and let him attack my neck for a minute before lifting his face up to mine. I kissed him lightly before pulling back, he followed, trying to reconnect our lips and I giggled.

"Listen, I want to, but it's late." I whispered, stroking a hand through his hair.

"But-," He said, hands finding their way inside my skirt, squeezing my legs. "Skirt." 

I giggled. "I promise, I'll wear another skirt soon."

"Yeah?" He asked, pressing a kiss to my lips.

I nodded. "Yep, a cuter, shorter one." 

I felt something in his chest rumble as his hands on my legs tightened. "Deal." He said before releasing me. 

"Goodnight Stiles." I said with a laugh as I stepped away from him.

I walked up the steps, turning my head for a moment, just in time to see Stiles readjust himself inside his pants and climbing into the Jeep.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The next day, during our free period, Derek met up with the five of us in an empty classroom to examine the marks on Lydia and Allison's arms.

"I don't see anything." He said, arms crossed over his chest.

"Look again." Scott said.

"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Derek asked.

"It's the same on both sides. Exactly the same." Scott insisted.

"It's nothing." Derek shot back.

"Pareidolia. Seeing patterns that aren't there. It's a subset of apophenia." Lydia said.

"They're trying to help." I said from where Stiles and I were, sitting on top the desks.

"These two." Derek said, pointing an accusing finger at Lydia. "This one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic Uncle. Thank you." He pointed at Allison. "And this one, who shot about 30 arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, all right, now, come on. No one died, all right?" Stiles said and Derek turned to glare at him. "Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I call an important distinction."

"My mother died." Allison said softly.

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." Derek replied.

Allison and Lydia had explained the girl who had given them bruise, how she seemed a little crazed, showing up to school and demanding to know where Scott was.

"That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you." Allison said.

"You wanna help? Find something real." Derek said in a harsh tone. Derek turned and made his way to the door.

I listened to him and Scott talk from where I was.

"Derek... Give her a chance. Okay, they're on our side now." Scott said in a quiet voice.

"Well then maybe you should tell her what her mother was actually trying to do that night." Derek said before storming out the door.

The bell rang and we all left.

As Stiles, Scott and I went outside to go to our next class, Stiles said "Okay, what would a pack of alphas want with Erica and Boyd?"

"I'm not sure it's them they want." Scott said.

"Okay, what, like Derek? Like they're recruiting?" Stiles said.

I stopped where I was as two boys walked past us. They gave off a weird vibe, almost similar to Derek. I noticed Scott had stopped to watch them walk by as well. "Hey, Scott, Juliet. You coming?" Stiles asked.

Scott and I gave each other a look before following Stiles to Econ.

"The stock market is based on two principles." Coach said as he began class. "What are they?" He looked around the room, eyes stopping on Scott, who had his hand raised.

"Yes, McCall, you can go to the bathroom. Anybody else?"

"Uh, no, coach, I know the answer." Scott said.

The Coach laughed before saying "Oh, you're serious."

"Yes. Risk and reward." Scott said.

"Wow! Who are you? And what have you done to McCall? Don't answer that. I like you better. I like you better." He looked shocked that Scott knew the answer. "Does anybody have a quarter? A quarter." He asked, continuing on with his lecture.

"Yep." Stiles said, fishing around in his pocket. It seemed to happen in slow motion, as Stiles took his hand out of his pocket, a familiar blue foil package slipped out as well. It flipped around itself before hitting the ground, in the aisle between Stiles' desk and mine.

Coach bent down to pick it up, and I felt myself heat up with embarrassment.

"Stilinski, I think you, uh... You dropped this." Coach said, awkwardly handing the XXL condom back to Stiles. "And congratulations." He said, eyes flicking over to me and I let my head fall to my desk with a thunk. I heard Scott chuckle behind me and I wanted to throw my textbook at his head.

"Risk and reward. Put the quarter in the mug, win the reward." Coach continued. 

I barely heard what Coach was saying next. I rolled my head to the side to glare at Stiles.

Stiles looked at me, trying hard to fight a smile. He mouthed "Sorry." To me but I could see the mischief in his eyes.

Coach had taken the quarter from Stiles and was showing the risk and reward of getting the quarter into a mug he had set on the ground a few feet away. The class clapped as he got the quarter in. He tossed the quarter to Danny.

"What's the reward?" Danny asked, turning the coin over in his hands.

"You don't have to take the pop quiz tomorrow." 

"Coach, it's not a pop quiz if you tell us about it."

"Danny, you know, I really expect more from you at this point." Coach said, taking the quarter from Danny and setting his eyes upon Scott. "McCall. Risk, reward. The risk: If you don't put that quarter in the mug, you have to take the pop... the... the quiz. And... and you have to write an essay. Risk, more work. Reward... No work at all. Or choose not to play."

"But isn't this just chance?" Scott asked.

"No. You know your abilities, your coordination, your focus, past experience... all factors affecting the outcome. So what's it gonna be, McCall? More work, no work, or choose not to play?"

"No play." Scott said, handing the quarter back to Coach.

"Okay. Who's next? Who wants the quarter?" Coach asked, looking around the room. Stiles drummed his hands on the desk before standing up. "There ya go! There's a gamblin' man! Come on! Step up, step up. All right, Stilinski." 

But as Stiles went to take his shot, his dad walked in the room, followed by a few officers.

"Stiles." His dad said.

"Yeah, Coach, I got it." Stiles said, eyes on the mug.

"Stiles." The Sheriff said again, and Stiles looked up then. "Can I speak with you and Juliet."

I stood up and we followed the Sheriff out into the hallway. 

"You two were some of the last people to see Heather last night, do you know where she might have been?" He asked,

I shook my head, "I talked to her for a second but then she went to hook up with a guy on the lacrosse team."

"Has no one really seen her since last night?" Stiles asked, the smell of anxiety and worry surrounding him.

"No. We put out an A.P.B., but, Stiles, Juliet, all her friends say you were the last person who saw her."

"Try talking to a guy named Ryan, he was the last one to see her." I said.

The Sheriff nodded. "Okay, thanks."

Coach's voice floated in from the open door behind us. "Reward! Okay, who's next. Greenberg, put your hand down. You don't have a chance."

As we left class, Stiles brought up a good point. What if the new alpha pack in town had taken her.

"So you think they kidnapped Heather to turn her?" I asked.

"Derek says it's easier to turn teenagers." He said as we walked down the hall.

"But what would a pack of alphas need with a beta?" Scott asked.

"Scott, I don't know. I don't care. All right? This girl... Our moms were best friends before mine died, all right? We used to take frickin' bubble baths together when we were three. I gotta find her." Stiles said and I gave his hand a squeeze.

"Then we need Isaac to remember." I said. Isaac had seen where the alpha pack was hiding out, but his memories were all jumbled from his accident. Derek and Peter had tried the nails in the neck memory trick but it didn't give them any concrete answers.

"How? Peter and Derek couldn't do it. You know any other werewolves with a better trick?" Stiles said.

"Maybe not a werewolf. But someone who knows a lot about 'em." Scott said and we all knew who he was referring to. Deaton.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After school, Stiles drove Scott and I to work. Isaac was already there waiting, as well as a giant metal tub.

Deaton had Scott, Stiles, Derek and I fill the tub with cold water as well as bags and bags of ice.

"Obviously, it's not going to be particularly... Comfortable. But if we can slow your heart rate down enough, you'll slip into a trance-like state." I heard Deaton say to Isaac over the splashing of ice in the tub.

"Like being hypnotized." Isaac asked.

"Exactly. You'll be half transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind." Deaton said.

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" I asked as Deaton and Isaac came to join the rest of us around the tub.

"Very slow."

"Okay, well, how slow is very slow?" Derek asked.

Isaac knelt down and dipped his hand into the water, he hissed at the cold and drew his hand back out. 

"Nearly dead." Deaton said and I shivered.

"It's safe, though, right?" Isaac asked, nervousness radiating off him.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?" Deaton replied.

"No. No, not really." Isaac mumbled.

There was a sudden slapping noise, we all looked up to see Stiles wearing a rubber glove that reached his elbow. I raised an eyebrow at Stiles. 

"What?" He asked, when no one answered he huffed and took the glove off.

Derek turned his attention back to Isaac. "Look, if it feels too risky, you don't have to do this."

Isaac nodded but stripped off his shirt and blew out a breath. He stepped into the tub and shuddered hard as he lowered himself down.

"Juliet, I may need your help to keep him calm." Deaton said to me.

I nodded and joined Derek by Isaac's shoulders. Stiles and Scott stayed at the other end.

Derek and I pressed on Isaac's shoulder, pushing his head under the water, he flailed and struggled under our hands, his eyes flashing yellow and his fangs growing as his head broke the surface as he gasped for breath. Stiles and Scott worked on holding his legs down. "Get him back under. Hold him." Deaton instructed, 

"We're trying!" Derek shot back, Isaac's wet skin slipping from under our hands. You'd think three werewolves and two humans could hold one werewolf under, but Isaac was seizing hard in the tub, sending water and ice onto all of us and all over the floor. 

After a moment, he settled, his eyes closed now. We all carefully withdrew our hands, keeping them close in case he started moving again. "Now, remember, only I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." Deaton said quietly and we all nodded. "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

Isaac's face had broken the surface with a small gasp. "Yes. I can hear you." He said to Deaton, his eyes closed.

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?"

"Yes."

"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd. I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again." Thunder rumbled overheard.

Isaac started fidgeting in the tub "I, I don't wanna do that. I don't... I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that." He repeated over and over again, the lights overhead started flickering.

"Isaac, it's all right. Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory." Deaton said in a soft tone as we tried to hold him still. Deaton looked at me and I closed my eyes, working on calming Isaac down, but he was severely on edge, like he was terrified. 

"I don't wanna do that." Isaac repeated.

"It's all right."

"I don't wanna do that."

"Relax. Relax." Deaton said, waiting for Isaac to stop moving. "Good. Now let's go back to that night. To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

"It's not... it's not a house. It's stone. I think marble." Isaac said, his eyes moving side to side behind his eyelids.

"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?" 

"It's dusty, so empty." Isaac said, his teeth chattering together hard, his lips turning blue.

"Like an abandoned building?" Deaton asked, but Isaac didn't reply, the thunder rumbled hard again. "Isaac? Isaac?" 

The lights flickered again as Isaac shifted around in the tub. "Someone's here. Someone's here."

"Isaac, relax." Deaton tried.

"No, no, no, they see me, they see me!" Isaac's hand shot out of the water to wrap around my forearm. I pushed more calming thoughts at him.

"Just memories. You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax." Deaton soothed, waiting for Isaac to calm down again. Isaac cried out before settling again, his grip on my arm relaxing a little. "Relax. Good. Now tell us what you see. Tell us everything. "

Isaac's eyes opened then, staring off into the distance. "I hear him. He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises." He must be talking about Boyd.

"Is he talking to Erica?" Deaton asked.

"I think so, I can't... I can't see her, I ca... I can't... I can't see either of them." Isaac stuttered out.

"Can you hear anything else?"

"They're worried.They're worried what they'll do during the moon.They're...Worried that they're gonna hurt each other." Isaac said.

"If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart." Derek said, eyes flicking between Scott and I.

"Isaac, we need to find them right now. Can you see them?"

"No."

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"

Isaac sat up in the tub then. "They're here. They... They..."

"It's all right." 

We tried lowering Isaac into the tub again but he kept saying no.

"Just tell us..." Deaton tried, the overheard lights flashing and strobbing hard now.

"They see me. They found me. They're here!" Isaac cried out. 

"This isn't working." Derek said, getting impatient. "Isaac, where are you?" 

The room descending into chaos. Derek yelling at Isaac, Deaton trying to get Derek to stop, Isaac yelling that it's too dark to see.

"His heart rate... he could go into shock." Deaton said to Derek.

"Derek, let him go!" I yelled.

"Isaac, where are you? What did you see?" Derek demanded.

"A vault! It's a bank vault! I saw it!" Isaac yelled. He yelled something that sent my heart spiraling into hopelessness. He shot up, sending more ice and water onto the floor. "I saw the name." His voice sounded normal again. We helped him out of the tub, Deaton wrapped a towel around his shivering form. "It's, uh... B-beacon hills first national bank. It's, um... it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault. What?" He stopped and took in all our somber expressions.

"You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No."

"You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it." Stiles continued for me.

"What body?' Isaac asked, eyes flicking between all of us.

"Erica. You said it was Erica." Stiles said.

The room went silent as Isaac left to get dry clothes on. Derek started pacing the room.

"She's not dead." He repeated to himself.

"Derek, he said, "there's a dead body. It's Erica." Doesn't exactly leave us much room for interpretation." Stiles said.

"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?" 

"Someone else, obviously."

"And maybe it was the girl on the motorcycle. Okay, the one who saved you?" Scott suggested, looking at where Isaac was sitting on top of a table.

"No, she wasn't like us. And whoever was in the vault with Boyd was." Isaac replied.

"What if that's how Erica died?" I asked.

"They, like, pit them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives. It's like werewolf thunder dome." Stiles said and I held back a sigh at his choice of words.

"Then we get them out tonight." Derek said, eyes wide and frantic.

"Be smart about this, Derek. You can't just go storming in." Deaton said, always the voice of reason.

"If Isaac got in, then so can we." Derek replied.

"But he didn't get through a vault door, did he?" Deaton said.

"We need a plan." Scott said.

"How are we gonna come up with a plan to break into a bank vault in less than 24 hours?" Derek asked.

Stiles had taken his phone out and was looking at an old news article about the bank. "Uh, I think someone already did. "Beacon hills first national closes its doors three months after vault robbery." Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

"How long?" Derek asked.

"It's the Internet, Derek. Okay? Minutes." Stiles said with a smirk.

But those minutes turned into hours, which turned into all night.

After driving Scott and I back to his place, the three of us spent hours looking up anything we could relating to the bank robbery.

I woke up with the morning sun blinding me through Stiles' window. I had fallen asleep laying on my stomach on Stiles' bed. I blinked a few times and took in the sight of Scott asleep in Stiles' computer chair and Stiles half hanging off his bed. The printer in the corner of the room was spitting pages and pages of news articles all over the floor.

The Sheriff opened Stiles' door then, dressing in uniform and a thermos of coffee in hand. "Kids. Hey, time to wake up." He tried, seeing that I was already awake he said. "Boys. Boys! I got to get to work." I nudged Stiles' leg with my foot and the rest of him slid off the bed. 

He and Scott woke with a start, a paper was stuck to Stiles' cheek. " You three get to school." John said before turning to leave.

Stiles pulled the paper off his face. "Dad! Heather?" He asked.

The Sheriff shook his head sadly. "No, nothing yet." He said and left.

"Ten hours and nothing." Stiles said as he stood up.

"We're gonna find something." Scott said.

"Finding something doesn't make Erica any less dead or Boyd any less about-to-be-dead." Stiles said as he gathered up some of the paper collecting on the floor.

"Well, we still have time."

"Is this whole, like, "remain optimistic "in the face of complete and utter disaster" thing a part of the "be a better Scott McCall" program?"

"Uh, not if it doesn't work."

"No, it works." Stiles replied with a sigh, before reading something on one of the sheets he picked up. "Oh, dad! Dad? Dad!" Stiles called, pushing the paper into my hand and rushing out of his room to catch his dad before he left for work.

I looked at the paper, and saw that in the picture of the robbers being arrested, was the Sheriff. I showed it to Scott and we followed after Stiles.

The Sheriff gave Stiles a quick run down of how the robbers did it while Scott and I gathered up our stuff for school and waited for Stiles in his Jeep.

We pulled into the school's parking lot, Scott checked his phone as we climbed out of the Jeep.

"All right, so we meet at Derek's at 5:00 to go over the plan, and then we don't get started until dark." Scott said.

"'Kay. What do we do till then?" Stiles asked as we walked into school.

"What, right now? We've got English." I said as the doors closed behind us.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After school, we all met up at Derek's loft.

Stiles unrolled blueprints for the bank building. I stood across from Stiles, looking at his map upside down. Peter sat half hidden in the shadows on the spiral staircase.

"Okay. You see this? This is how they got in." Stiles said, circling something with a red marker. "It's a rooftop air conditioning vent. Leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here." He pointed to another spot on the blueprint. "Okay? One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft Now, that space is so small, it took him about 12 hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way. Then throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall. Boom."

"Can we fit in there?" I asked.

"Yes, we can, but very, very barely. And they also patched the wall, obviously, so we're gonna need a drill of some kind. I'm thinking maybe a diamond bit..." Stiles said but was interrupted by Derek.

"Look, forget the drill." He said, his head bent over the blueprints.

Stiles whirled to face him. "Sorry?"

"If I go in first, how much space do I have?" Derek asked.

"What do you... what do you think you're gonna do, Derek? You gonna punch through the wall?" Stiles retorted.

Derek stood up to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall."

"Okay, okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it, come on. Get it out there. Don't be scared. Big, bad wolf." Stiles said, egging Derek on. But Derek did raise his fist. I sighed and leaned a hip against the table, honestly they were worse than a couple of children. "Yeah, look at that.Okay, see this?" Stiles held his hand out, palm up, to Derek's fist. "That's maybe 3 inches of room to gather enough force to punch through solid co... " He was cut off by Derek punching his hand with enough force to have Stiles collapse in pain against the table with a loud bang. "He could do it." Stiles croaked out, standing up and walking down the length of the room, shaking out his hand. 

I followed after him and gently took his hand in mine, drawing the pain away and absorbing it myself. He smiled at me and I kissed the back of his hand. The boy had no tolerance for pain.

"I'll get through the wall. Who's following me down?" Derek asked, looking at everyone in the room. 

"Don't look at me. I'm not up to fighting speed yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourself." Peter said.

"So I'm supposed to just let them die?"

"One of them is already dead."

"We don't know that." I said as Stiles and I rejoined them at the table.

"Do I have to remind you what we're up against here? A pack of alphas. All of them, killers. And if that's not enough to scare your testicles back into your stomach, try to remember that two of them combine bodies to form one giant Alpha. I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids. They're gonna be missed." 

"Could someone kill him again, please?" Stiles said with an eye roll.

"Derek, seriously? Not worth the risk." Peter said, ignoring Stiles.

"What about you?" Derek said, looking at Scott and I.

"Yeah, if you want me to come..." Stiles started.

"Not you."

"Got it."

"I don't know about Erica. But if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something. We have to try." Scott said and I nodded in agreement.

"But?"

"Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?" I said, completing Scott's thought.

Before getting ready to leave, Stiles pulled me aside. "Are you sure you wanna go with them?" He asked, rubbing his hands down my arms to lace our fingers together.

I nodded, "Yes, if I can help save them, I have to try. Besides," I said with a smile. "Maybe my empath powers will come in handy."

Stiles gave me a quick kiss and Derek, Scott and I left.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As the three of us walked up to the side of the bank, Scott stopped, deep in thought about something.

"What?" Derek asked.

"There's just something I can't get out of my head." Scott said.

"The moon's rising, Scott. What is it?"

"Risk and reward." Scott said, referring back to Coach's lecture.

"Which means what?" Derek asked.

"We're not measuring the risk with enough information. We don't know enough."

"We know time's running out."

"Yeah, but think about it. They put the triskele on your door four months ago. What have they been doing all this time? Why wait until now?" Scott asked.

"We don't have the time to figure out every little detail."

"Okay, but what if this detail, the reason why they waited... what if it's the most important one?" 

"Then we do nothing. And Boyd and Erica are dead. I know what I'm risking. My life for theirs." Derek jumped up and grabbed the bars on the window, using the momentum to swing himself up to the fire escape ladder. "And I won't blame you if you two don't follow me." Derek said, looking at us over his shoulder.

Scott and I met each others eyes and followed after him.

We climbed across the roof, found the vent and shimmied down inside. It took Derek about three tries, but he did succeed in punching through the wall. The rock landed in the empty with a crash. We climbed in after Derek and scanned the spacious room. Deposit boxes lined the walls, the giant vault door sat to our left.

A figure stepped out from behind a pillar, it was Boyd, walking slow, as if stalking prey.

"Boyd? Boyd? It's me. It's Derek." Derek said, standing carefully, as to not spook Boyd away. Boyd's claws were out, a growl rumbling low in his chest.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I answered it quickly. "Hey Stiles, now is not the best time." I spoke in a quiet voice as Derek got closer to Boyd. Boyd's eyes shot over to me as I spoke to Stiles.

"Juliet! No, listen to me, okay? Look, you gotta get outta there. Look, the walls of the vault are made with a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight." Stiles said, frantic.

"What does that mean?" I asked, Scott's brow furrowed as he overheard the conversation.

"We're here to get you out, okay?" Derek said. Boyd growled louder.

"Look, it keeps the moonlight out, okay? They haven't felt the full moon in months." Stiles said.

Peter's voice came through the phone. "Okay, think of it like the gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance to it."

My eyes flicked up to where Derek and Boyd were circling each other. "Juliet, they're gonna be stronger... "

"More savage, more bloodthirsty, Juliet, they're the lions. They're the starved lions, and you, Scott and Derek just stepped into the Colosseum."

Scott and I looked to the hole Derek made in the wall, moonlight was spilling in through it, across the floor. "Derek, we got a problem, a really big problem." Scott said.

A second growl joined Boyd's. A shorter figure stepped out from behind the pillar, standing next to Boyd. "Cora?" Derek said, looking shocked.

"Who?" I asked, phone slowly sliding away from my ear.

"Cora?" Derek repeated.

"Derek, get out. Get out now!" The girl, Cora said, she was sweating, her voice strained as she fought the shift.

Scott's gaze was sliding around the edge of the room, I followed it, and saw a trail of dark ash lining the room. Stiles was yelling through the phone, trying to get either of ours attention.

The vault door opened then, Ms. Morrell crouched down, filling in the last of the barrier with ash in her hand.

"No. No! Wait!" Scott yelled, lunging for the door.

Cora and Boyd snarled and threw themselves at Scott, Derek and I. Boyd slammed into me, sending my phone flying from my hand, it smashed into the wall.

Great, that's probably broken.

The room was chaos as the five of us fought, Cora swiped at me, I blocked it and kicked her in the chest, she fell back with a snarl. Derek kicked off the wall and launched himself at Cora, 

"You know her?" I yelled to Derek, kicking Boyd away and back into Cora.

"She's my sister, my younger sister." Derek yelled back.

The three of us rested against the wall, breathing heavy as Cora and Boyd untangled themselves.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Scott asked.

"Like I have a clue. I thought she was dead!" 

A figure filled the open vault doorway. "Look out!" A familiar voice said, I looked up to see Allison standing there. 

Boyd picked up Scott and threw him into the pillar with a smash.

Cora knocked me to the ground, clawing at my face. Derek pulled her off me and I gasped, feeling blood on my face. Vaguely, I saw Boyd with his nails deep in Scott's stomach, lifting him off the ground as Scott coughed up blood.

Allison looked down and noticed the mountain ash barrier. She crouched down, about to touch the ash.

"No! Don't break the seal!" Derek yelled at her, holding back Cora's arms in his hands.

"Boyd!" Allison yelled as she pushed the ash aside. Boyd immediately released Scott, he slid to the ground with a groan.

Boyd and Cora wasted no time sprinting past us and out the vault doors.

Derek followed, but grabbed Allison by the arm.

I helped Scott to his feet and we staggered over to Derek and Allison. "Don't touch her!" Scott yelled, hand pressed to his bleeding stomach.

"What were you thinking?" Derek yelled, shaking Allison.

"That I had to do something." She shot back, ripping herself from Derek's grip.

"She saved our lives." Scott said.

"Yeah, and what do you think they're gonna do out there? Do you have any idea what we just set free?" Derek said.

"You want to blame me? Well, I am not the one turning teenagers into killers."

"No. No, that's just the rest of your family."

"I made mistakes. Gerard is not my fault."

"And what about your mother?"

"What do you mean?" Allison asked.

"Tell her, Scott." Derek said, looking at Scott.

"What does he mean, Scott? What does he mean?"

Scott sat down heavily and explained what happened at the club Allison's mom was bit. 

I sighed and wandered back into the vault to pick up my phone.

The screen was all cracked to hell, but it still worked. I called Stiles back.

"Juliet, oh my god is everyone okay?" Stiles said, picking up on the first ring.

"Yeah, we're fine." I said. I mean Scott and Derek had some pretty gnarly injuries but they were healing fast.

"What happened?" 

"Boyd and Cora got out and are on a crazed moon filled hunt." I said.

"Wait, who's Cora?" 

"Derek's sister."

"Oh." 

"Derek, Scott and I are gonna go try to find them as soon as we're all healed."

"You said everyone was fine." Stiles said.

"Um, mostly fine?" I offered.

Derek came back, carrying at body in his arms. I must have let out a small sob because Stiles asked what's wrong.

I slowly approached Derek, Erica's pretty blonde hair stained with days old blood.

"Is she-" I asked in a whisper, trying to detect a heartbeat.

Derek shook his head. "No, she's alive, but barely."

I let out a sigh, feeling tears rising to the surface. "Oh thank God."

"I'm gonna take her back to the loft to heal." Derek said.

I shook my head. "No, we need an alpha helping track down Boyd and Cora, I'll take her."

"You're going to carry her all the way back to my loft?"

I spoke into the phone still clutched in my hand. "Stiles, can you pick me up? Erica's alive and we need a drive to Derek's loft."

"Yeah of course." Stiles said and hung up.

I smiled at Derek. "There, problem solved."

"What if the alphas come back?" Allison asked.

"I don't think they have a reason to come back here with Boyd and Cora on the loose." 

"What if-" Scott tried but I cut him off.

"Guys, I'll be fine, go."

Scott stood up, stomach now healed and the four of us went out to the front of the bank.

Derek gently lowered Erica down against me on the ground. 

Scott and Derek took off into the woods, following Cora and Boyd's scents. Allison lingered nearby. 

"You don't have to wait around with me." I said, looking up at Allison.

"I know. It's just... Can you tell her I'm sorry. You know for the whole arrows in her and Boyd thing." She said, rubbing a hand over her arm.

"I forgive you." Erica said quietly, turning in my grip to look at Allison. "After being kept hostage by an alpha pack for 3 months, you shooting a few arrows into me is nothing."

Allison let out a small laugh. "I'll see you guys later." She got into her car and left.

"Why didn't you just ask her to drive us?" Erica asked weakly.

"Huh, didn't even think to. I always just ask Stiles for anything drive related."

Erica laughed lightly but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. I rubbed her back and watched as Stiles' Jeep came flying into the parking lot.

He jumped out and ran over to us. "Erica! You're alive!" He exclaimed as he help me lift Erica off the ground. We put her arms over our shoulders and half carried half dragged her to the Jeep. 

"Yep, not even an alpha pack can kill me." She exclaimed weakly.

I laid her down in the back seat and Stiles and I got in the car.

We drove in silence to Derek's loft. When we got inside, I noticed how Peter was mysteriously missing from the place.

We laid her down in Derek's bed and Stiles went about getting water and food for her. "So Derek doesn't own any first aid stuff." He called out, rummaging around in the bathroom.

"That's fine. I just need about 80 hours of sleep to heal and I'll be better." Erica said after taking a few sips of water.

Stiles' phone rang as I took the glass back from Erica. 

"Uh," Stiles said, spinning around to face me. "So Lydia found a dead body and she's freaking out."

I swore. "Okay, you go, I'll stay with Erica."

"No, you don't have to stay with me, like I said, I need to sleep anyways." She replied.

"Okay, uh." I handed her my phone. "Call Stiles if you need anything." 

She nodded and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Stiles and I went back down the stairs and got into the Jeep.


	3. Chapter 3

Stiles drove to the place Lydia found the body, the public pool. "Lydia!" I called as we clamored out of the Jeep.

She was standing near the edge of the pool, I got quick deja vu to Stiles and Derek stuck in the pool a few months earlier, shuddering at the thought of a kanima circling the pool.

"Lydia, are you okay?" Stiles asked as we ran up to her.

"I'm okay." She replied quietly. "That, over there... Not okay." I turned and in the lifeguard chair, was a poor kid, probably no older than us, blood spilled down his throat and chest.

"Yeah, all right. I'm gonna call my dad." Stiles said, taking his phone out of his pocket.

"I already called 911." Lydia responded.

"You called the police before you called me?" Stiles asked.

"I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?"

"Yes!" Stiles exclaimed.

Stiles called Scott to tell him. "Are you sure?" Scott asked. It must have been either Boyd or Cora who did this.

"Yep. Throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the frickin' shining over here. Two little twin girls come out of the woods, start asking me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised." Stiles said and I rolled my eyes.

"Can you get a little closer to make sure it was them?" Scott asked.

"Make sure it was them? Scott, who else is going around ripping throats out?" Stiles replied.

"Please just do it."

"I'll do it." I said, knowing how badly blood affected Stiles.

I walked over, avoiding the blood smeared all over the ground and peered at the guys throat. Yep, throat ripped open, blood everywhere. As I pulled back I noticed a ring on the guys hand, it read purity across the band.

I took the phone from Stiles. "Definitely a werewolf, throat was ripped out."

Scott sighed and hung up.

The police arrived a few moments later, surprisingly the Sheriff wasn't with them, Stiles asked where he was and they said they had another emergency on the other side of town. 

As the EMT's put the body in a bag and loaded it into the ambulance, the police sent Lydia, Stiles and I away.

"Stiles, do we have to follow Lydia home?" I asked as we followed behind her and her police escort back to her house.

"I want to make sure she's alright."

"No, you want to ask her how she found the body." I said.

He sighed. "Maybe."

She parked her car and we got out, following her up the stairs to her room.

"You two didn't have to follow me home." She said, putting her bag down on her desk.

"We just wanted to make sure you got in okay." Stiles said.

"I had a police escort."

"I know the inner workings of that force, all right? They're not nearly as reliable as people think." Stiles replied.

I called Scott and stood in the hallway as they bickered.

"Hey, how's it going? Have you found them yet?" I asked.

"Not exactly. Argent is helping us now and we're using the emitters to lure them to the high school." Scott replied, he sounded out of breath like he was running.

"Okay, well good luck." I said and hung up.

I walked back into Lydia's room just in time to hear her say "The answer is, I have no clue how I ended up finding that body. I didn't even know where I was until I got out of the car."

"Yeah, but the last time something like this happened... " Stiles trailed off.

"I know. Derek's Uncle."

"Peter." I said quietly. My phone rang then, it was Mom. "Hey, what's up?"

"Can you come to the hospital, there's something off about the body they brought in earlier."

"Off how?" I asked.

"Just... Please."

"Yeah okay, see you soon." I hung up and turned to Stiles. "Uh, Mom wants to show us something at the hospital."

"Not me." Lydia said, flopping back into her bed. "I've had enough dead bodies for one night."

We said bye and went out to the Jeep.

I drove us to the hospital, and when we walked in, we found Mom waiting by the front desk.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hey."

"Over here." She ushered us towards the stairs leading down to the morgue "And if you tell anyone that I showed you this, I swear to God, I will kill you painfully and slowly." She said that last part only to Stiles. I quirked an eyebrow. "Not you sweetie, I'll just ground you."

"Ah, lovely." I muttered as we descended down the stairs.

"Why do you want to show us a body we've already seen?" Stiles asked.

We went into the morgue, two bodies laid out under sheets. Mom put on a pair of gloves.

"Because you haven't seen everything." She pulled down a sheet, revealing the body Lydia found at the pool. "See this around his neck?" She said, pointing to the cut mark on his neck. Without all the blood in the way, it was easier to see the single cut, not multiple slashes from a wolf claw. "That's a ligature mark. That means that he was strangled with something, like cord, rope... "

"Ah, okay, wait a second. What kind of werewolf strangles someone? You know, that's not very werewolf-y." Stiles said.

"My thoughts exactly. And then there's this." She turned the head, revealing a missing piece of the guys head.

"God, man, what is that? Is that brain matter? Yeah, it's brain matter, of course." Stiles said, sounding like he was trying not to throw up.

"See the indentation? He was hit in the back of the head, hard enough to kill him. In fact, any one of these things could have killed him. I mean, someone seriously wanted this poor kid dead."

"All right, so then this couldn't have been Boyd or Cora, you know? They wouldn't have done all that." I said.

"So maybe this is just one murder. I mean, maybe it's just a random coincidence." Stiles said.

"I don't think it was just one." Mom said.

"How come?" I asked.

"Because that girl over there, she's got the exact same injuries." She said, using her head to gesture to the other covered body.

She went to pull down the sheet and one thought crossed my mind.

Please don't be Heather.

Mom pulled the sheet back and Stiles' mood dropped. His heart started pounding as tears welled up in his eyes. He had known her longer than Scott and I so seeing her body hit him hard.

"The M.E. said this one wasn't just strangled. Whoever did it used a garrote, which is a stick that you put through the rope, and you just kind of keep twisting, and..." She said, all professionalism. She stopped when she saw Stiles' tears sliding down his cheeks. I gave his hand a squeeze. "Stiles? Oh, my God, did you know her? I'm so sorry. I didn't even think." She quickly put the sheet back up over Heather's pale face.

"We were... We were at her party. It was her birthday. Her name is Heather." Stiles said, forcefully wiping his tears away with his sweater sleeve.

"Okay, we need to call your father, 'cause you're witnesses. Stiles?" Mom tried, when he stood frozen staring at the sheet.

"Wait." I remembered the purity ring on the guy's hand, Heather's wish to not be a virgin anymore.

"Has anyone else been through here tonight? Any... any other bodies, or even anybody missing?" I asked and Stiles seemed to get what I was talking about. He had known about

Heather's birthday night plans and had seen the ring as well.

"Uh, no, no bodies, but, um... " She trailed off.

"What?" I asked.

"Two girls. They brought the first one in, Caitlin, for a tox screen, and then I overheard that her girlfriend, Emily, just disappeared. I mean, they were out in the woods and... "

"Nobody's found her yet?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." 

"Okay, first one." Stiles asked, sliding into investigative mode.

"Caitlin." Mom said.

"Okay. Is she here? Is she here right now?"

"I think so."

"Okay, where?"

"Okay, okay, wait. Just wait a minute." Mom said, stepping in our path as we tried leaving.

"We have to talk to her." I said.

"Why?"

Stiles met my gaze. "Because we think we know what's happening."

Mom led us up to Caitlin's room. She was in bed, eyes staring off into the distance. Her eyes flew up when we opened the door slowly. 

"Hey, um you don't know us but we have a few questions." I said quietly. Stiles stood on one side of the bed, and I stood on the other.

She nodded. Mom kept watch at the door as we talked.

"So what were you and your girlfriend doing out in the woods?" Stiles asked.

"We weren't doing anything that bad. I mean, I've camped out there plenty of times." She insisted.

"Right, but why tonight?" I asked softly.

Caitlin looked down at her hands. "We wanted to be alone for one night. Emily lives with her mom, and I have three roommates. Not exactly romantic settings, you know?"

"How long have you two been together?" Stiles asked.

"Three months."

"And you wanted to make it romantic." Stiles responded.

"Yeah, you know, because..." She trailed off.

"Because it was her first time." I completed, eyes finding Stiles' across the bed.

"They're gonna find her, right? Aren't they?" She asked, looking between me and Stiles.

"The police are gonna try their hardest." I said with a small smile.

Tears welled up in her eyes and I laid a gentle hand on hers. Easing her heartache, working on calming her down. 

She drew in a deep breath and settled back against the pillows.

Mom opened the door, making sure no one was watching and the three of us left the room.

I pulled Stiles into an empty room. "Hey, are you okay?"

He shook his head as silent sobs racked his body. He collapsed against me, face buried in my neck as he cried. I rubbed my hands up and down his back.

"Do you want me to..." I trailed off. "Take the emotions away?" 

He lifted his head from my shoulder. He sniffed and said "No, I can't always rely on you to change my emotions, sometimes I just have to feel them."

I nodded sympathetically. I wiped his tears away and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"We gotta tell the others." He said and after swiping a quick hand over his face, we left the room.

We called Scott and waited in the morgue for him. He showed up soon after and we showed him the marks on Heather's body. Seeing it again made Stiles' heart pound again.

"So Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?" He asked as we pulled the sheet back down.

"You're gonna wish they did." Stiles said.

"Why?"

"I'm not exactly sure yet. The other girl who was out in the woods, Emily? Eventually they're gonna find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather... That guy Lydia found at the pool. All three were virgins... And they're all gonna have the same three injuries... strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called the threefold death." Stiles said.

"So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?" Scott asked.

I looked up and met his gaze. "Sacrifices. Human sacrifices."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, while Scott was at work, and Stiles was spending time with his dad before he had to go to work, I went over to Erica's house.

She was mostly healed and went home from Derek's. Her parents nearly had a heart attack when she showed up at their front door after being missing for three months.

Her dad greeted me with a tight smile and politely invited me inside. I took in their upscale house, boxes filled every available surface. I made my way up the stairs and into Erica's room. 

Her room was in pure chaos, clothes on every surface, half filled boxes littered the floor. "Uh, bad time?" I asked from the doorway.

She turned to face me, tears spilling down her cheeks as she threw clothes into a box. "Hey, no it's fine."

I sat down on her bed, her sinking down next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. She wordlessly handed me my phone back.

"My dad thinks the reason I was missing was because I joined a gang run by Derek Hale." Erica said. "And he's insisting we move to Canada to get away from it." 

I rubbed a hand up and down her arm. "Oh Erica sweetie I'm so sorry."

She sniffed and lifted her head. "I'm really gonna miss you all, especially," She cut herself off and looked like she was mentally cursing herself for saying anything.

"Especially Boyd?" I said softly and she nodded.

"I really like him, but I'm not sure he'll wait for me."

"That's something you'll have to ask him." I said.

Someone cleared their throat in Erica's doorway and we looked up to see her dad standing there looking stern. "Erica, I think it's time for your friend to leave." The way he said friend made it sound like a bad thing.

"Right, sorry Mr. Reyes." We stood up and I hugged Erica tightly. "I'll miss you." I whispered to her and pulled away. Her dad ushered me down the stairs, barely muttering a goodbye before slamming the door behind me.

I scoffed as his rudeness and started the walk back home. 

About halfway there, I heard the familiar rumble of an engine. I turned and saw Scott pulling up on his bike. "Need a ride home?" He asked, holding up his spare helmet.

I smiled and took the helmet from him. I climbed on the bike and wrapped my arms around him as we sped towards home. 

After pulling into the driveway and climbing up the stairs Scott said. "Hey so something weird happened at work earlier."

"Weird how?" I asked as I locked the door behind us.

"A guy came in to get his dog checked out, and then as I was leaving, the dog ran up to me, terrified as hell."

"Where did his owner go?" I asked, walking upstairs to our rooms.

"No idea, it's like he just disappeared into thin air."

I spun to face Scott. "Did the guy seem like he was a virgin?"

Scott's brow crinkled. "How am I supposed to know that?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, did he seem... virgin-y?" I offered, not able to think of a better word.

"Um, no." Scott asked.

"Uh, okay."

Scott shook his head and disappeared into his room. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I walked into my room. "Hey Stiles," I said with a smile, collapsing onto my bed.

"Hey, my dad went to work, wanna come over?" He asked.

"Yeah sure." I got up and collected my school stuff into my backpack.

"Cool, see you in a minute."

"Are you outside already?" I asked with a grin. 

"Maybe."

I laughed and left my room, hoisting my bag over my shoulder. I caught a glimpse of his Jeep in the hallway window before going down the stairs.

"What if one day I said I didn't wanna hang out?" I asked.

"Please, you'd never say no to hanging out with me." I caught his smile through the windshield as I shut the front door behind me.

I giggled and hung up the phone as I climbed into the Jeep. I greeted him with a deep kiss and he groaned in response. 

His eyes opened slowly when I pulled away, a dopey smile on his face. "I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I said as he pulled out of the driveway and towards his house.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The next morning, I was woken up by bright sunlight streaming into Stiles' room and directly into my eyes. 

I groaned and pulled the blankets over my head. "Stiles, why don't you have blinds on your window?" I asked, voice muffled by the blanket.

"Uh, Scott and I broke them playing lacrosse." He replied, peeling the blankets back from my face.

"Why does that not surprise me." I muttered, blinking annoyed up at him. "Also, how did you manage to convince me to join the cross country team?"

Stiles stood and gathered up his school stuff. "Well, I wanted to spend more time with you." He said.

I glared at him. "You just wanted me to suffer along with you." I swung myself out of bed.

"Please, you're a werewolf, you love running." He said, moving close to wrap his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into him.

I scoffed. "Running, yes. Having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn, not so much." 

Stiles chuckled and kissed the top of my head before pulling away. "Come on."

I quickly got dressed and Stiles drove us to the school. The parking lot was basically empty this early. I noticed Scott's bike off to the side as we walked inside. I went to the locker room to change into shorts and a tank top and met the rest of the class outside by the trail.

I was stretching my legs when Coach blew the whistle to go. He yelled at us to pace ourselves, I had planned to jog along side Stiles the whole time, but then I saw Scott take off after Isaac, who was chasing the twins, new kids to the school who I had yet to talk to. 

"Sorry Stiles." I said over my shoulder as I upped my pace to make it to the front of the group.

I heard him sigh behind me as I quickly passed everyone. I made sure I was out of anyone's line of view before settling in a dead sprint. I arrived in time to see Scott punch one of the twins hard in the face.

God, I hope for the sake of his face that he was a werewolf as well. 

I watched as he grabbed his jaw and slide it back into place with a loud crunch. 

Isaac got up from where the other twin was holding him to the ground. I watched as the twins growled, claws and fangs appearing, their eyes glowing blood red in the early morning light.

Oh great, these were the twin alphas.

Scott, Isaac and I responded by sliding our claws out as well. I was about to launch myself at one of them when a loud scream pierced the air.

We all turned and clamored down the hill, where the rest of the students were surrounding a tree, a guy was slumped against it, blood staining the front of his shirt and jeans. A cord was wrapped tightly around his neck, tying him to the tree. I narrowed my eyes and realized it was a pet leash.

Everyone's' emotions around hit me at once, an overwhelming assault of horror, shock and sadness. I found Stiles in the crowd and quickly went to him, sliding my hand into his.

He squeezed my hand without looking at me.

"It's him isn't it?" He asked Scott.

Scott nodded. 

The police arrived minutes later. "Hey, get out of the way. Get back. Get this area cordoned off before they trample every piece of evidence." The Sheriff directed as he approached our group.

"Get these kids out of here!" He yelled at his deputies.

Stiles and I went over to see his dad. "Dad, just come here. Look, look. Look at it. It's the same as the others, you see?"

"Yeah, I see that. Do me a favor. Go back to school, yeah? Coach, can you give us a hand here?" 

"You heard the man. Nothing to see here. Probably just some homeless kid." Coach yelled but no one moved.

"Coach." Scott said.

"Yeah?"

"He was a senior." Scott said and Coach let out a long sigh.

"He wasn't on the team, was he?"

A pretty blonde girl came running up to the tree, the deputy held her back as she screamed and tried to break away. "Kyle! Oh, God, Kyle! Oh, God!" 

"Go on. Go. Go." The Sheriff said, pushing us all back towards the school.

We started walking and Isaac said. "You see the way the twins looked at him?"

"Yeah, you mean like they had no idea what happened?" Stiles said.

"No, no, they knew." Isaac insisted.

"The kid was strangled with a garrote, all right? Am I the only one recognizing the lack of "werewolfitude" in these murders?" Stiles replied.

"Oh, you think it's a coincidence they turn up and then people start dying?"

"Well, no, but I still don't think it's them." Stiles said, crossing his arms.

"Scott?" Isaac asked, Scott was unusually quiet. "How 'bout you?"

"I don't know yet." Scott replied. 

"You don't know yet?" Stiles said, sounding annoyed that Scott didn't immediately agree with him.

"Well, he's got a point. Seriously, dude, human sacrifices?"

"Scott, your eyes turn into yellow glow sticks, okay? Hair literally grows from your cheeks and then will immediately disappear, and if I were to stab you right now, it would just magically heal, but you're telling me that you're having trouble grasping human sacrifices?" Stiles said, hands flailing to emphasis his point. 

I nodded. In a place like Beacon Hills, human sacrifices didn't sound too far fetched.

"That's a good point too." Scott said, looking at Isaac.

"I don't care. They killed that kid, they killed the girl that saved me. I'm gonna kill them too." Isaac said before storming off.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After sitting through history class, the image of the kid, Kyle, bloody and tied to that tree still playing in my mind, I made my way to meet up with Stiles.

I turned the corner just in time to see the girl from the cross country trail slap Stiles across the face. "No, he wasn't a virgin." She said before being led away by a deputy.

Stiles looked stunned for a second before his dad stormed up to him. "Have you completely lost your mind? I've got four murders, Stiles." 

I walked up to them as they talked. "You see those men in there?" The Sheriff pointed to a group of men in the office. "That's the FBI. They're pulling together a task force to help because it looks like we've got a full-blown serial killer on our hands. You get that?" He looked around to make sure no one was listening to us.

"Yes, Dad. I get that." Stiles said.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find a pattern." Stiles said softly.

His dad shook his head and followed after his deputy and the girl.

"Did you ask her if her boyfriend was a virgin?" I asked, looking at the red mark fading away on Stiles' cheek.

"Um, yeah I did." Stiles admitted. "He wasn't, so there goes our virgin theory." 

"Come on, we have class." I said, taking Stiles' hand and pulling him down the hall.

We walked past Kyle's locker, it was covered in notes and small trinkets as a memorial.

Boyd walked up to it, and stuck a little note on one side.

"Hey, Boyd! I didn't know you were back at school." I said, trying to sound friendly.

"Yeah, I would have told you, but we're not actually friends." He said and I cringed.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, so did you, uh... so did you know Kyle?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah, we were in junior R.O.T.C. together." 

"So you two were friends, then?" 

"I only have one friend. She's moving to Canada." He said.

"Oh, sorry." I replied lamely and he turned and walked away.

Lydia walked past us then.

"Hey Lydia, how much do you know about ancient civilizations sacrifices?" I asked as we fell in step next to her.

She cocked an eyebrow that said "Really?"

"You know that there's a temple in Calcutta where they used to sacrifice a child every day? That's every day a dead baby, Lydia, every day! Hey, you want to know what today is? It's dead baby day. Oh, no, wait, that's every day, because every day is dead baby day, yay!" Stiles said, working himself up into a frenzy.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"Because Scott's dealing with the Alpha twins." Stiles said, Lydia stopped walking for a second, eyes wide in panic.

"You don't know about the twins?" I asked.

"Alphas?" She asked softly.

"Ethan and Aiden." I said slowly.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I knew about them." She said as she continued walking, but I heard her heartbeat jump when she said that. 

"Okay, okay, good. So look, here's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking that the murders maybe come in threes. Ancient people love things in threes, right? So maybe first it's three virgins, and then, I don't know, maybe it's three people who own little dogs." Stiles said.

Lydia stopped walking again to look at Stiles. "I own a little dog." Stiles sighed. "I am not getting rid of my dog!"

We started walking again. "Would you just think about getting rid of your little dog?" Stiles asked.

"No. And by the way, you cannot discern a pattern by a single data point, so stop trying."

"Wha-okay, so what, I'm just supposed to wait around for someone else to die, then? I'm just supposed to sit there and watch them die? Just wait for them to wither up and die right in front of me?" Stiles' anxiety was quickly rising.

"Wither?" I asked. No one was withering up like they had the blood sucked out of them.

"You know what I mean." Stiles said. "Die, in just a hideously awful, strangulating, head-bashing, throat-cutting kind of way." Very vivid descriptions.

"Maybe it's not your job. You said it yourself, they were strangled with a garrote. That's a human thing to do, so... Maybe just leave the figuring it out part to someone human." Lydia said.

"You mean someone like my dad?" Stiles asked.

"No, I mean your dad. The sheriff!" She said as the bell for next period to begin rang.

She walked away with a hair flip, leaving us alone in the hallway.

I sighed. "Come on, we have English." I started walking but stopped when I noticed Stiles wasn't following me. "What?"

"I have an idea of who might have information." He said, I could see the gears turning in his mind.

"Can it wait till after English?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Besides you probably already read the book for class like three times."

He started off towards the parking lot and I followed him with a sigh. Mom will not be happy if she finds out I'm skipping class.

10 minutes into the drive, I realized where we were going.

We pulled up outside the vet clinic, the parking lot was empty.

We were met with the dogs in the back barking as Stiles pushed the door open.

"You're out of school early." Deaton said in his usual calm voice as he saw that it was Stiles and I.

"Yeah, free period, actually." Stiles lied, luckily Deaton couldn't tell that. "Um, we were just headed home to see my dad. He's, uh... you know, I guess you probably heard people are kind of getting murdered again. It's his job to figure it out."

"I gathered as much from the sheriff title." Deaton said with a small smile.

"Yeah, um... You know, but it gets kind of hard for him to do his job when he doesn't have all the information. And we all know he's missing pretty much half the story here, right? So then I started thinking, and I remembered someone who does have a lot of information. Someone who always seems to know more than anyone else around here. You."

Deaton led us to the back exam room. "All these symbols and things... the triskeles, the bank logo, the Mountain ash... all of it is from the Celtic druids. And anyone who has ever looked up human sacrifice before knows that the druids had a pretty big hard-on when it came to giving one up to the gods. You ever hear of the lindow man? 2,000-year-old body found in England? He was found strangled, head bashed in, throat cut. Threefold death. They also found pollen grains in his stomach. Guess what favorite druid plant that was." Stiles said.

Deaton reached for one of his many jars filled with ash and plants. He pulled the lid off and slid out a sprig of a plant. "Mistletoe." He stated simply.

"I'm just telling you everything you already know, aren't I? Then why aren't you telling us?"

"Maybe because when you spent every moment of the last ten years trying to push something away. Denying it. Lying about it. Becomes a pretty powerful habit." Deaton said, putting the mistletoe back in the jar.

"All right, so this guy... is he a druid?" I asked, leaning back against a table and crossing my arms over my chest.

Deaton shook his head. "No. It's someone copying a centuries-old practice of a people who should have known better. Do you know what the word "druid" means in Gaelic?"

Stiles and I shook our heads. 

""Wise oak." The Celtic druids were close to nature. They believed they kept it in balance. They were philosophers and scholars. They weren't serial killers."

"Yeah, well, this one is." I muttered.

Stiles' phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at who it was and answered it."Hey, I can't talk right now."

"Stiles, the music teacher is missing." I heard Lydia say through the speaker, her voice sounded shaky.

Stiles' eyes met mine. "Wait, what? Yeah, are you sure he's missing?"

"Not just missing. Taken." She said.

Stiles hung up and looked at me. "Hey Deaton, could you come to the school and see if you can find any clues that we might be missing." I asked.

He nodded and locked up the clinic. He followed behind Stiles' Jeep in his car to school.

The school day had ended by the time we got there, the hallways basically empty as we made our way to the music room.

Lydia held up the phone left behind by the teacher at the piano. He had recorded himself playing but was cut off with a loud bang of the keys, which is when we assumed he was taken.

"Can we get a copy of this?" Deaton asked after listening to the recording. A weird chanting had started after the loud piano key clang.

Stiles rummaged around in the desk drawers, looking for anything useful. "Hey, doc, any help would be, you know, helpful." He said, casting a look over to Deaton and Lydia. "Juliet, anything?" 

I shook my head, I was circling around the room, sniffing for any unusual smells. "Nothing but the sweat and hormones of 25 teenagers." I said.

"Each grouping of three would have its own purpose, its own type of power. Virgins, healers, philosophers, warriors..." Deaton was explaining.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Warrior, could that also be like a soldier?" Stiles asked, holding up something he found in the drawers.

"Absolutely." 

I walked over to Stiles, he was holding the teachers wedding photo, his wife in the usual white dress, but he was dressed in a full military uniform. "Kyle was in R.O.T.C. with Boyd. That's got to be it. That's the pattern." Stiles said.

"Where's Boyd?" Deaton asked.

"He's probably home by now. I'm gonna try and get him on the phone." I said, taking my phone out of my pocket.

Lydia looked like an idea suddenly popped in her head.

"Lydia? Something wrong?" Deaton asked.

"No, it was... I mean... I just thought of someone else with a military connection."

"Who?" I asked.

"It's sitting right on his desk... the west point honor code." She said and when we all looked at her confused she said. "Mr. Harris."

We all rushed from the room and towards his classroom. The door was closed but he wasn't inside like expected.

I went in first, and the classroom looked completely normal, a stack of tests lay on the edge of the desk.

"This is just one of many possibilities. He could have simply left for the day." Deaton said.

"Yeah, well... Not without this." Stiles said, holding up Harris' bag, he never went anywhere without it.

I pushed the tests aside, but stopped when I noticed the red pen on top.

"What?" Deaton asked.

I held up the test. "This test is graded "R.""

Lydia held up another one. "This one's an "H.""

Deaton took the tests from us, and lined them up in a line with the others. "Juliet, Stiles, you remember I told you "druid" is the Gaelic word for "wise oak"?"

"Yeah." Stiles said.

"If a druid went down the wrong path, the wise oak was sometimes said to have become a dark oak. There's a Gaelic word for that as well... Darach." The tests lined up to spell out Darach. 

"So that's who is killing people? A dark druid?" I asked, thinking of how weird this all sounded.

"Yes it seems to look like that."

I sighed and ran a hand over my face. "Sure, dark druids, why not."

Deaton went to leave. "I'm needed back at the clinic, you kids should go home, sleep, rest, be teenagers."

"Hard to relax with a crazed murderer on the loose." Stiles muttered.

We waved bye to Lydia as we made our way to the Jeep.

"My house or yours?" Stiles asked as we climbed in.

"Mine." I said.

I needed a few hours of normal, in my own bedroom, listening to the mundane noises of Scott and Mom as they went about their lives.

We drove back to my house, it had started to rain hard outside. We set up our homework in my room, Stiles was laying on his stomach on my bed, and I sat on the floor, reading, leaning back against the bed.

I enjoyed the quiet. Soft music played from my phone, the rain hitting the window, hearing Scott and Mom talking downstairs. It was nice, it was calm.

Stiles was researching dark druid stuff on his laptop, and I could sense his rising frustration as I attempted my math homework.

About an hour later he closed the laptop with a huff. 

I sighed as one of his hands found its way into my hair. He tilted my head to the side and pressed gentle kisses along my neck and shoulder.

"Stiles," I breathed out, hand coming up to slid back into his hair. "We have homework."

"Don't wanna," He replied, kissing the spot behind my ear.

Fuck it.

In a breath, I rose from the floor and had Stiles pinned to the bed.

"You drive me crazy." I muttered before lowering my mouth to his.

He hummed and slid his hands up my legs, and into my shirt, gripping my waist hard.

As I rolled my hips down into Stiles', I heard voices float up from the front door.

"What?" Stiles asked out of breath as I stopped kissing him. 

I sat up, ears listening to the conversation downstairs. "Someone's here." Mom was talking to someone. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

I scrambled off Stiles and opened the door in time to see Isaac knocking on Scott's door. "Come in Mom." Scott called out.

Isaac opened the door. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favour." He was dripping water all over the floor, a duffel bag clutched in his hand.

"Did Derek kick you out?" I asked from my doorway.

Isaac turned to me and nodded, sadness and betrayal written all over his face. 

"Yeah of course you can stay here." Scott said, getting up to show Isaac to the guest room.

I returned to my bed and sat down next to Stiles. "I can't believe Derek would kick Isaac out when he knows he has nowhere else to go." I said.

"I can't believe your mom is allowing three werewolves to live under one roof." Stiles said and I let out a small laugh.

"Guess that really means no fooling around here, for the sake of everyone's ears." I said.

Stiles' hands found their way under my shirt again, palms hot on my skin. "Are you sure you don't wanna go to my house tonight." He whispered as he mouthed at my neck. 

I giggled and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I gotta sleep in my own bed at least once this week." 

I looked at the time and gave Stiles a quick kiss before standing up and getting ready for bed.

“Are you gonna come to bed soon?” I asked Stiles as I climbed into bed.

“Nah I’m gonna stay up and do a little more research first,” He said, typing away at his laptop. He knew the light and the clicking wouldn’t bother me, I actually kinda liked falling asleep to a little noise.

“Okay,” I said with a yawn “Don’t stay up too late.”

“Try not to hog all the blankets.” He said, flashing me a small grin.

I rolled over and pulled the blankets up higher. “I make no promises.” 


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, I was laying on my bed reading, when Scott burst into my room and threw his extra bike helmet at me. 

"Come on, we gotta go to Derek's." He said.

"Hello to you too." I muttered as I stood up. "Why?" 

"The alpha pack lives in the same building as Allison, we gotta tell Derek."

I nodded and followed him out to his bike.

Scott even take the time to put down the kickstand on his bike, he just let it fall to the ground as we stormed up and into Derek's loft.

"I know where they are." Scott said.

We were met with the sight of Derek, Peter, Boyd and Cora looking at blueprints.

"Same building as the Argents, we know." Derek said.

"Cora and I followed the twins." Boyd said.

"Then they want you to know." Scott said. I barely had any encounters with the alpha pack but they seemed like they smarter then we were given them credit for.

"Or, more likely, they don't care." Peter said.

"What is this?" I asked, looking at the plans laid out across the table.

"Isn't it obvious? The schemers are scheming, coming up with a coup de main, better known as a pre-emptive strike." Peter said. Ugh, I did not like the idea of working with Peter.

"You're going after them?" Scott asked.

"Tomorrow. And you two are gonna help us." Derek said. "They're one floor above them in the penthouse, right above Allison."

"So kill them first, that's the plan?" I asked.

"They won't even see it coming." Boyd said.

"Why is the default plan always murder? Just once, can someone try to come up with something that doesn't involve killing everyone?" Scott asked annoyed.

"You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you? Not that I disagree with him." Peter said, turning to Derek.

"I do." Cora said, narrowing her eyes at Scott and I. "Why do we need these kids?"

"Those kids helped save your life. And you know we can't just sit back and wait for them to make the first move." Derek said.

"You can't beat a pack of alphas." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's why we're going after Deucalion, just him." Cora said.

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies." Boyd said.

"Only this isn't a snake, it's a hydra. And like Scott says, they're all alphas." Peter said.

"Deucalion's still the leader." Derek said.

"Let's hope so. Because you know what happened when Hercules cut off one of the heads of the hydra?" Peter asked.

"Two more grew back in its place." Scott said.

"Somebody's been doing their summer reading." Peter said with a smirk.

They went over the plan with us, and I had to admit, it was a pretty well thought out plan.

After we got back home, Scott was quiet as we went up to our rooms.

Stiles picked me up a little while later and drove us to his house, his dad at work. I spent the night tossing and turning.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I was anxious the entire day, I hated sitting around waiting. 

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, taking note of the way my leg kept bouncing and me running my hands through my hair a million times.

"I'm nervous about having to face an alpha pack." I said.

Stiles took my face gently in his hands. "Hey, this isn't your fight, you don't have to always jump into everything Derek asks."

I sighed. "I know, but they kidnapped Boyd and nearly killed Erica. I gotta help make sure they don't hurt anyone else."

My phone vibrated then. "Hey Scott," I said when I answered.

"Hey, can you meet me and Isaac at the abandoned mall across town, I set up a meeting with Deucalion to talk." 

I sighed, feeling some anxiety lift off my chest. Talking is much better than fighting alphas. "Sure, I'll be there in 10 minutes." I hung up.

I told Stiles Scott's plan and he nodded. "Okay, need a drive over?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I like running." 

He gently kissed my forehead. "Be careful."

"Always am." I said as I grabbed my jacket and rushed from the room.

I followed the smell of gas fumes and found Isaac and Scott waiting by his bike.

"We're just gonna talk to him, try to reason with him. That's it, all right? What?" Scott said to Isaac when he stopped walking.

"Nothing. It's just that, uh, I'm actually kind of hungry now." Isaac said and I rolled my eyes at them. Scott had tried lying to Isaac to keep him from tagging along. But that lie involved getting food. 

"So am I." 

We started into the abandoned mall. Graffiti covered every wall, bits of broken glass and concrete lay across the floor.

Deucalion was standing on one of the broken escalators, walking cane in hand.

"You didn't come alone." Deucalion said, his accented voice bouncing off the walls.

"Yeah. This is Juliet and Isaac." Scott said and I glared at Deucalion.

"I'm not talking about them." Deucalion said, and out of the shadows emerged Derek, Cora and Boyd, already shifted and snarling at Deucalion.

"You knew I would do this?" Scott asked, but Derek didn't say anything, he just keep glaring at the alpha on the escalator.

"Derek, don't. You can't do this so no one gets hurt. If someone dies..." I said, seeing the image of Erica's broken body in Derek's arms.

Derek pointed one clawed finger at Deucalion. "Him. Just him." He said, his voice more a growl than anything.

"Just me?" Deucalion said, sounding too innocent. "Now, how's a blind man find his way into a place like this all on his own?"

There was a loud scraping noise as a alpha lady slid down a nearby support beam, her clawed toes and nails keeping her from falling. I remember Isaac telling me she was the one who tried kidnapping him at the hospital.

Another alpha, this one had to be at least 7 feet tall walked up an escalator behind us, eyes glowing red in the dim room.

The twins appeared on the top floor, shirtless. They flipped off the edge and in mid air, joined together and became one massive person. They landed on the floor with a loud thud.

Boyd and Cora stepped out of the shadows just as Derek advanced on Deucalion.

But he was cut off as the alpha lady sliced her foot through the air, talons aimed for his throat.

Boyd set to attacking the giant alpha behind us. Cora ran over to Derek to help him fight the shoe-less alpha woman.

Scott stood still next to me, not sure what to do.

Isaac launched himself at the alpha twins giant form. Scott rolled his eyes when Isaac was easily pushed to the ground. He shifted and ran at the twins. I ran over to Boyd, he was quickly being overpowered by the giant alpha. He pushed Boyd aside as Boyd tried kicking him. 

He turned and with a snarl at me, punched me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side and I stumbled back, I would have fallen over if Boyd didn't grab my arm at the last second. 

Boyd growled and punched at the alpha again. The alpha grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around so Boyd was trapped against his chest. The alpha woman had managed to push Derek and Cora aside. With a spin, she slashed her toes across Boyd's shoulder. Boyd collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.

I kicked at the alpha's stomach, but at the last second he turned and swiped his claws across my side and stomach. With a cry, I fell to the ground, blood pouring down my side.

"Bitch," I muttered, "This was a new shirt." 

I looked around and realized we were beat. The alpha woman had her foot on Cora's neck. The twins had Scott and Isaac in a tight grip, holding them on their knees.

"Kill him." Deucalion said from where he had been listening to the fighting happen. He was motioning to Boyd, still coughing up blood on the ground. "The others can go. You're beaten. Do it, Derek. Take the first step." 

So that's what Deucalion wanted, for Derek to kill his own pack and join the alpha pack.

"Are we serious with this kid? Look at him. He's an Alpha? To what? A couple of useless teenagers?" The alpha woman said, still holding her foot down on Cora's throat.

"Some have more promise than others."

"Let him rise to the occasion then. What'll it be, Derek? Pack or family?" The woman asked, pressing hard on Cora's throat. She coughed, trying to get the woman's foot off.

Suddenly, there was a whistling noise and a flash. The arrow hit the twins single form so hard they were split apart, hitting the ground hard. There was another flash. And another. I rolled away in time and shut my eyes. The alphas hadn't expected anyone else to show up and they all got blinded by the flash arrows.

I looked up and saw Allison on the top floor, bow ready as she released arrow after arrow down on the alphas.

"Your eyes... cover your eyes!" Deucalion yelled, of course it wouldn't bother him, he was blind. The lady alpha covered her eyes and stumbled back off Cora.

Derek and Cora took advantage of the flashes and ran over to Boyd, helping him to his feet and carried him out of the area. 

Scott and Isaac shot to their feet and helped me up, I leaned heavily against them. I pressed a hand to my side, feeling woozy at how much blood I was losing.

Scott ran over to the tall alpha, who noticed him at the last second and ran at him as well. They met in the middle, and the force of them colliding caused a thunderous boom, pushing them both backwards. Scott lifted his head and for a split second, his eyes were red, not the usual beta gold but bright alpha red. He blinked and the red faded away.

Derek took the alpha's moment of confusion to attack him from behind. They struggled and pushed each other, closer to a ledge with a broken railing half attached. The alpha headbutted Derek with a loud crack. Scott leapt forward and sliced as the alpha's lower leg. He let out a roar and spun, but the momentum sent him falling backwards over the edge, pulling Derek along with him.

"No!" Scott shouted. Isaac and I went forward, in time to see Derek and the alpha land on a pair of escalators below, both of them bent at awkward angles.

The other alphas left quickly after that, still blinded from the arrows Allison shot.

I pulled away from Isaac, still clutching my side, to join Scott. I helped him to his feet and I noticed he had also gotten a few deep scratches down his side. 

"Come on," I said through gritted teeth. "We gotta go." I pulled Scott away from the edge and made our way back to where he had parked his bike.

Cora and Boyd were nowhere to be found. Allison had also conveniently disappeared. 

"Get him home safe Isaac." I said, passing them the helmets. Scott swayed but got on the bike. 

"What about you?" Isaac asked, climbing on behind Scott.

"I'm gonna go to Stiles'."

"But you're hurt."

I gave them a weak smile. "It'll heal, it always does."

I set off on a slow jog back to Stiles', having to slow down to a walk at times when the pain felt like too much.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Hey Mr. Stilinski." I said, opening the door to the Stilinski house and letting myself in.

"Hi Juliet, Stiles is in the shower but he should be out soon." He said from his spot in front of the TV.

I nodded, hoping he couldn't see the pain on my face. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself to hide my torn up shirt.

I made my way up the stairs slowly, wincing at each step as it jostled my injuries.

I closed the door behind me and collapsed on Stiles' bed, hoping I wasn't bleeding all over his blankets.

The door opened a few minutes later, Stiles came in wearing sweatpants and a loose tshirt. 

"Hey Juliet, you could have joined me." He said, turning to throw his towel in the overflowing laundry bin. 

I chuckled weakly, but it quickly turned into a cough. 

Stiles turned to face me, the smile dropping from his face when he saw me clutching my side, blood seeping through my fingers.

"Oh my god, what happened." He said, kneeling down next to me on the floor and gently pried my hands off my wound. For once his hair didn't have copious amounts of gel in it, and it rested against his forehead, making him look softer and younger. 

"The talk Scott wanted turned into a fight." I said, remembering the snarls echoing throughout the empty mall. "Also I'm pretty sure Derek is dead."

Stiles' eyes widened. "How?"

"One of the alphas pulled him over a broken edge and they both fell hard onto broken escalators below."

"Shit." Stiles said with a sigh. "Okay, get up, I'm patching you up." He stood and held out a hand for me.

"Stiles, I'll heal it's fine." I really didn't feel like moving.

"Don't care, seeing you gush blood everywhere is stressing me out." 

I sat up, wincing at the pain and put my hand in Stiles'. He carefully helped me to my feet and together we walked into the still steamy bathroom. He helped lift me up onto the counter next to the sink and he got out the first aid kit.

"Okay, we need to take your shirt off." He said, standing in the space between my legs, knees splayed on either side of his hips. I shrugged my jacket off and let it fall to the floor. God, I hope my jacket wasn't ruined, it was my favourite.

I tried lifting my shirt over my head, but stopped when a wave of nausea came along with the searing pain in my side. My arms dropped and I rested my head on Stiles' shoulder. "I can't." I whispered, breathing hard.

"Um, we could cut it off." He rummaged around in the first aid kit. "Why are there no scissors in here." He said frustrated after a minute of searching.

"Just rip it off." I said, watching more blood seep out and stain the shirt. "It's mostly shredded anyways." 

Stiles nodded. "Um, okay." He took handfuls of my shirt up near my collar and pulled. The fabric ripped easily, tearing until it met up with the slashes in the side. 

"Under different circumstances, that would have been really hot." I muttered, resting my head back against the mirror, watching him through half lidded eyes.

Stiles chuckled and set to work cleaning up my side wound. I tried not to squirm as he gently wiped the extra blood away and cleaned it with rubbing alcohol.

"There." Stiles said as he finished taping the bandage to my side. 

I let out a long sigh. "Thank you." 

Stiles' hands trailed up my legs. "How's Scott? Was he hurt too?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Isaac helped get him home. He feels awful after seeing Derek fall over that ledge."

"Stiles, Juliet, whatever you two are doing in there, please hurry up. I want to shower." Mr. Stilinski's voice came from behind the closed door. 

I took in the sight of bloody cloths and my torn up shirt on the ground. "Yep, just give us a second Dad." Stiles said, a flush coming up to his face and neck.

I hopped down off the counter and shrugged my jacket on and zipped it up, I slid my destroyed shirt into my pocket as Stiles cleaned up the first aid kit stuff in record time.

We made sure there was no evidence left behind before opening the door. John stood on the other side, arms crossed over his chest.

"Sorry Dad." Stiles muttered as we slid past his dad and into his room.

I heard John sigh behind us. "Teenagers." He said with a shake of his head.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The next day, Stiles drove us to the school so we could get on the bus going to a cross country meet. "How's your side?" Stiles asked as we drove.

I had pulled the bandage off this morning and underneath was just a few dark red scabs. I knew it would be fully healed by the end of the day.

"It's almost done healing." I replied.

"Are you sure we should even go to this stupid meet?" Stiles said. "Half our team is werewolves who just got their asses whooped by an alpha pack." 

I nodded. "Yes, if we don't, Coach will whoop our asses even worse than the alphas did."

Stiles laughed and pulled into the parking lot of the school.

I greeted Scott outside the bus, he looked exhausted, I hoped he got a little bit of sleep last night. He slid into the very back seat, and rested his head against the window. I sat next to him and Stiles sat on my other side.

Luckily, the backseat ran the whole back of the bus. Everybody's bags were smushed into the other corner so no one could overhear us.

Stiles had brought his tablet along and was quizzing Scott on vocabulary for the psat's.

I sat between them trying to read, but the rumbling of the bus as we cruised down the highway and the restless teenagers surrounding us was distracting.

About an hour in, Coach yelling at someone to get back to their seat, Scott leaned his head against the window, eyes closed. I could smell the blood from his side wound, but figured it wasn't fully healed because it was such a deep cut from an alpha.

Thunder rumbled loudly overheard as dark clouds drifted closer.

"Yo, Scotty. Hey, yo, Scotty? Still with me?" Stiles said, peering around me to look at Scott.

"Yeah, sorry. Uh, what's the word?" Scott said, lifting his head from the window with great effort.

""Anachronism."" Stiles read from his tablet.

"Something that exists out of its normal time." Scott replied.

"Nice. Okay, next word... "incongruous.""

"Um, can you use it in a sentence?"

"Yes. Yes, I can. It's completely incongruous that we're sitting on a bus right now, on our way to some stupid cross-country meet after what just happened... incongruous." Stiles said.

"Out of place, ridiculous, absurd."

"Perfect. Okay, next word. Um, Darach. Darach, it's a noun." Stiles said and Scott gave him a half-hearted glare. "We have to talk about it sometime, okay? And we're gonna be stuck in this thing for, like, five hours, so why not?"

I nodded, "He's right, with darachs and alpha packs, who knows what else could show up next, unicorns?" I said and Stiles groaned.

"Don't even speak that into existence." He swiped to the next word. "Next word... "Intransigent.""

"Stubborn, obstinate." Stiles said. The bus went over a big bump, jostling the bus and Scott clutched his side, breathing hard around the pain. "Oh, buddy, you okay? We shouldn't have come. I knew it. We shouldn't have come." He said.

"We had to. There's safety in numbers." Scott said, eyes squeezed shut with pain.

"Yeah, well, there's also death in numbers, okay? It's called a massacre... or bloodbath, carnage, slaughter, butchery, wow, that's... all right," He said.

I put my hand over his mouth. "Stiles, stop listing things." I moved my hand and turned to look at Scott. "Scott, I'm telling Coach that..."

Scott's eyes opened. " No. No, no, no. I'm all right." He said unconvincingly.

"Well, you don't look all right." Stiles said. "Would you just let us see it?"

"I'm okay." He insisted.

"Just let me see it, okay?" I said.

"Okay." Scott lifted his shirt, revealing the deep gashes along his side. It didn't look like it had begun to heal at all, if anything, it looked worse.

"Oh, dude..." Stiles said.

"I know it's bad," He said, lowering his shirt. "But it's because they're from an Alpha. It'll take longer to heal."

"Then how come Boyd, Isaac, and I are fine then?" I said. Isaac had greeted me with a tight lipped smile as he got on the bus earlier, and Boyd had, well, pretended we didn't exist.

But Scott didn't seem to hear me, he rested his head against the window again. "I can't believe he's dead. I can't believe Derek's dead." He muttered in a pained voice.

"Hey, we don't know that he's actually dead okay." I said, trying to remain optimistic. Sure, Derek had fallen from like 20 stories up onto an escalator, and sure it looked like his back had snapped in half, but he couldn't be dead, right?

"Scott, give me your hand." I said, holding mine out to him.

His gaze slid over to me. "Why,"

I rolled my eyes. "So I can take away some of your pain duh."

"No Juliet, you don't-" He started to protest.

"Don't be difficult." I said. He sighed and put his hand into mine. I watched as the pain slithered up my arm, veins going the darkest black I've ever seen them go. I doubled over with pain, resting my forehead against the empty seat in front of me. Stiles rubbed at my back gently.

"How come I don't get back rubs?" Scott asked, sitting up a little straighter now that he wasn't in unbearable pain. Knowing Scott was able to joke told me that he felt better, even if it only lasted for a few minutes.

"You'd get back rubs if you won't so stubborn." Stiles said and I managed a small chuckle.

I lifted my head up and rested it on Stiles' shoulder, watching as Coach zeroed in one on of the kids sitting up front.

"Jared, again, car sick? Every ti... how do you even get on the bus? Look at me. No, don't look at me. Look at the horizon. Keep your eyes... keep your eyes on the horizon. " He instructed as Jared clutched his stomach. Coach's eyes fell on Scott and I. "McCall siblings, not you too."

"No, Coach, we're good." Scott said, attempting a half hearted smile at Coach.

"Hey, Scott, you're bleeding again. And don't tell me that it's just taking longer to heal, okay? Because I'm pretty sure that still bleeding means not healing, like, at all." Stiles said. I followed his eyes and saw Scott's shirt was stained with blood under his jacket.

"He's listening." Scott was referring to Ethan, sitting next to Danny like his whole pack didn't beat us all into a pulp the night before. Luckily, Aiden had been suspended so we only had to deal with one crazed alpha on this trip and not two.

"Is he gonna do something?" Stiles asked, Ethan's head was turned slightly towards us.

"Not in front of this many people." I said, knowing not even an alpha would be dumb enough to start a fight around so many humans.

"Okay, well, what about the two ticking time bombs sitting right near him?" Stiles said, gesturing to Isaac and Boyd, Boyd turned to glare at Stiles over his shoulder, clearly also listening in on our conversation. Boyd's anger had been simmering under the surface since he got on the bus.

"No, they won't. Not here." Scott said.

"Okay, well, what if they do? Are you gonna stop 'em?" Stiles asked.

Scott met my gaze and I nodded. "If we have to." He said.

The bus slammed to a stop, throwing us all against the seats. Scott gasped next to me. I couldn't take anymore of his pain away without feeling like I was about to throw up.

Instead, with his hand still in mine, I focused on soothing him, taking his rising anxiety and guilt and settling it into a calmer mood.

"There's a jackknifed tractor a few miles ahead. Could miss the meet." I heard Isaac mutter from a few seats up. I heard growling and looked up to see Boyd breathing hard, heart pounding in anger. "Boyd? Boyd? What... what..." Isaac was saying to Boyd, but he didn't seem to be listening.

Scott got up and tried pushing past Stiles and I. "Scott? Where are you going?" Stiles asked, hand pressing to the seat in front of us to keep Scott from leaving.

"Boyd. He's gonna do something." Scott said.

"Okay, what? How do you know?" 

"Look at his hands." We looked up to see Boyd's hand curl around the seat in front of him, claws out, digging into the vinyl. Honestly I don't know how the people around him didn't see that.

Scott pushed past us, and staggered up the aisle. I tried following but Stiles stopped me, hand on my shoulder to press me back into the seat. "Stiles." I protested. 

"I don't want us to make that big of a scene, and it could be intimidating to Boyd if you both approach him while he's angered."

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "When did you become an expert on werewolves." I muttered under my breath, not expecting him to hear me.

"When everyone around me turned out to be one." He said, offering me a small smile.

I vaguely registered Scott talking to Boyd in a low but demanding voice to get him to settle down.

I cast a quick glance at Coach to make sure he wasn't watching and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to Stiles' warm mouth.

"Hey, hands to yourself McCall!" Coach yelled back. It's like he has a spidey-sense when it came to couples kissing. 

I pulled back. "My hands were nowhere near him Coach." I could feel Stiles holding back silent laughter next to me.

"Hey, other McCall, get back to your seat!" He snapped at Scott. "I gotta think of a better way to address them." He muttered to himself. Scott stood from where he was crouching next to Boyd. Boyd's anger had settled a little. Scott made his way back to us, hands clutching each seat as he passed.

"Crisis averted?" Stiles asked as Scott climbed back over us to sit near the window again.

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay, good. 'Cause we got another problem. Ethan keeps checking his phone, like, every five minutes." Stiles said, Ethan pulled out his phone again, checking for messages and sighing when nothing showed up. "It's like he's waiting for something, you know, like, a message or a signal of some kind. I don't know, something evil though, I can tell. I have a very perceptive eye for evil, but you know that."

"I don't like him sitting with Danny." I said.

"Yeah, neither do I. I'm gonna see what he's waiting for." Stiles said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked.

"I'm gonna ask."

I watched as Stiles sent Danny a message asking him to see why Ethan was checking his phone so much. Danny looked at Stiles over his shoulder and mouthed "No."

Stiles sent him another, Danny responded with another no. After a few more back and forth messages Danny put his phone away. Stiles spammed Danny's phone, message after message of just his name. Danny's phone dinged loudly over and over again in the mostly silent bus.

"Something wrong?" Ethan asked, looking concerned at the amount of texts Danny was getting.

"Actually, I was... Wondering the same thing about you." Danny asked. The two of them turned to face us, and the three of us ducked down behind the seat.

"Well, that wasn't very subtle." Stiles whispered. But Stiles got a text from Danny a minute later, saying that Ethan was waiting for a message about someone close to him who was sick and might not make it through the night.

"Ennis?" Scott asked. Ennis was the large alpha who had fallen over the edge with Derek.

"Okay, so does that mean, uh..." Stiles asked and I knew what he was thinking. Maybe Derek survived the fall as well.

"He's not dead." Scott said.

"Not yet." Stiles replied.

The bus moved barely an inch, the traffic jam didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Jared, I'm warning you. I'm an empathetic vomiter. You throw up, I'm gonna throw up right back on you. And it will be profoundly disgusting." Coach was saying.

"Please don't talk about throwing up. It's not good." Jared replied, his voice queasy as he fought the urge to throw up.

"I might throw up on you just to make a point, Jared." Coach replied.

"It's not good. It's not good." Jared said, shaking his head.

"Now the rest of you, don't think we're gonna miss this meet because of a slight traffic jam, a minor tornado warning, Jared. We're gonna make this thing. Nothing is gonna stop us." Coach shouted through the bus, trying to sound encouraging. 

I glanced out the window, taking in the valley sprawled out along the side of the highway, watching the dark clouds swirling above.

"Stilinski, put your hand down." Coach yelled as Stiles got his attention.

"You know, there's, like, a food exit about a half a mile up. I don't know if we stop and then maybe..." Stiles said.

"We're not gonna stop." Coach said, stubborn as always.

"Okay, but if we stop..."

Coach blew his whistle, shrill in the small space. "Stilinski! Shut it! Seriously! It's a little bus! Stop asking me questions!" 

"I hate him." Stiles said with a sigh, hand coming up to rub his face. "Did you call Deaton?" He asked Scott. We had hoped Deaton would have answers on why Scott wasn't healing yet.

"I keep getting his voice mail." Scott said.

"That's it. I'm calling Lydia and Allison." Stiles said as he dug his phone out of his pocket.

"How are they gonna help, back in Beacon Hills?" Scott asked.

Stiles raised his phone to his ear. "They're not. They've been following us for hours. Pathetic."

I spun around to look out the back window of the bus, and sure enough, about 3 cars behind the bus sat Allison and Lydia. "How do you notice these things and we don't?" I asked.

Stiles shrugged. 

"Hey, Stiles. Yeah, we're just about to walk into a movie, uh, you know, the popcorn and..." Lydia said when she answered.

"I know you guys are right behind us. Put me on speaker." Stiles said.

"Okay." Lydia sounded embarrassed at being caught.

"Okay, look, Scott's still hurt." Stiles said.

"What do you mean still? He's not healing?" Allison asked.

"No, he's not healing. I think he's actually getting worse. The blood's turning, like, a black colour." Stiles said. Scott's blood has seeped through his shirt again, darkening the fabric even further.

"W... What's wrong with him? " Lydia asked.

"What's wrong with him? I don't... do I have a PhD in lycanthropy? How am I supposed to know that?" Stiles replied.

"We need to get him off the bus." Allison said.

"And take him where, a hospital?" Lydia said.

"If he's dying, yeah. Stiles, there's a rest area about a mile up. Tell the coach to pull over." Allison said.

"Yeah, I've been trying." Stiles said frustrated.

"Well, reason with him." Allison said.

"Reason? Have you met this guy?"

"Just try something." Allison said before they hung up.

Stiles sighed and got up, walking to the front of the bus where Coach was watching the barely moving line of cars in front of us. He asked Coach to please let us off the bus. But Coach, stubborn as ever, refused.

"Coach, it's five minutes for a bathroom break, okay? We've been on this thing for, like, three hours... " Stiles said, but after each sentence, Coach blew his whistle. "It's 60 miles to the next rest stop..." He tried, but another whistle blow. He kept trying, and kept being met with Coach blowing his whistle loudly. Coach began laughing at Stiles' building frustration. "Let me talk!" Stiles finally yelled at him.

"Get back to your seat, Stilinski!" Coach yelled back.

"Okay!" Stiles yelled and turned to walk down the aisle.

"Jared, keep your eyes on the horizon." Coach said to Jared.

Stiles paused where he was and I saw the bad idea forming in his head. "Hey, Jared. How you doing?" Stiles said, sinking down next to Jared and giving him the creepiest smile I've ever seen on his face.

I was focused on taking more of Scott's pain and I didn't catch what Stiles said to Jared, but a minute later, the bus was filled with the sound of Jared retching and the awful smell of vomit.

Stiles quickly retreated back to our seat and Coach loudly instructed the bus driver to pull off to the gas station nearby.

"What did you say to him?" I asked, trying to breath lightly so I didn't inhale too much of the vomit smell.

"You don't want to know." Stiles said.

"Jared, you suck! Hey, somebody grab some towels or a mop or a new bus." Coach yelled as we pulled into the gas station and everyone rushed to get off.

Stiles and I slung Scott's arms over our shoulders and led him into the men's restroom, Allison and Lydia following close behind us. We sat Scott on the floor between two sinks. I lifted Scott's shirt and saw black lines extending from the wound and across his chest.

"Oh my God." Allison said behind me. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Sorry." Scott mumbled.

"Okay. Just give us a second, okay? This shouldn't be happening. I've seen him heal from worse than this." I said as I got up and went to stand near the others.

"Okay, what do we do then? Do we just call an ambulance?" Stiles asked.

"What if it's too late? What if they can't help?" Allison said.

"We gotta do something." Stiles said.

"You know, it could be psychological." Lydia said.

"What do you mean, like, psychosomatic?" Stiles asked. I barely followed their conversation.

"Somatoformic." She said.

"Som..." Stiles said, confused by the word.

"A physical illness from a psychogenic cause." She clarified. Stiles gestured for her to explain more. " Yes, it's all in his head."

"All in his head? Because of Derek. He's not letting himself heal 'cause Derek died." Stiles said.

"So what do we do?" Allison asked.

Lydia searched in her purse and pulled out a small sewing kit. "Stitch him up." We all gave her a look. "I'm serious. Maybe all he needs to do is just believe it's healing."

Allison took the kit from Lydia and knelt down in front of Scott."He's gonna need another shirt. Where's his bag?" She asked, opening the kit and getting out a needle.

"Um, I'm gonna get it. I hate needles anyway, so... uh, do you know what you're doing?" Stiles said as Allison dug out a lighter and used it to heat up the needle to disinfect it. 

"Yeah, my father taught me." She said.

"I mean, how fast are you gonna... I mean, the bus, like, the bus could leave." Stiles said.

"Well, you just make sure it doesn't leave." She said,

"I can help." Lydia said and the three of us left the restroom. The rest of the class was standing around on the grass as they finished cleaning the bus.

I hopped on and made my way to the bags, I found Scott's and dug out a shirt before slinging the bag over my shoulder. I rushed back to the restroom, and handed Allison the shirt and bag as she sewed up Scott's side, I caught the gleam of tears down her cheeks.

Coach blew the whistle, telling everyone to get back on the bus.

I lingered near the door waiting for them. Allison came out, holding Scott up and I quickly moved to help.

"Is he okay?" I asked. "Are you okay?" The smell of blood was nearly gone which seemed to be a good sign.

"Yeah." He said, he still sounded a little weak. "Stiles, where's Stiles." He asked.

"Trying to stall Coach."

Lydia walked up to us then. "We still don't have gas." She said to Allison.

"I'm not leaving him." Allison said.

"Then we have to leave the car." Lydia said.

"Sounds good." Allison said as we went to join the group.

"What? That wasn't an actual suggestion." Lydia said behind us. "Allison, wait. Ah. Screw it." She hurried after us.

We rounded the corner and was met with a circle of students, cheering on what sounded like a fight.

"Stiles, what's happening?" I asked as we got closer.

"They went after him. I told 'em what was happening with Scott and they just went after him." He replied.

"Who, Boyd?" I asked, releasing Scott and pushing through the circle of people.

"Isaac, Isaac, Isaac! Back off! Stop." Coach was yelling, as Danny tried to pull Isaac off Ethan, but he was too strong for him. 

Isaac had Ethan's collar clutched tightly in his grip, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Scott appeared next to me. "Isaac!" He yelled, a slight growl sneaking its way into his voice.

Isaac stopped then, and looked at Scott over his shoulder, taking in Scott's newly healed wound. He allowed Coach to pull him off Ethan then. Danny sank down next to Ethan, cradling his head in his hands.

The crowd around us went quiet. Coach yelled at us to get back on the bus again. 

We climbed on. I took the window seat in the back this time. Stiles was stuck between Lydia and I. Scott and Allison sat in front of us.

"All right. Let's go over this one more time. So it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind." Stiles said, ticking off the points with his fingers.

"Or actually is a dark druid." I said.

"A Darach." He said.

"You know... Some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle." Lydia said.

"So we got Alpha werewolves against a dark druid." Stiles said.

I nodded. "Yeah."

This definitely won't end badly at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for attempted suicide

As night descended, the bus pulled up to a crappy looking motel.

Coach went off to check us in and get the room keys.

I got off the bus, eyes scanning the dingy motel. 2 stories, cars that looked like they've been parked there since the 70's, litter rolling across the cracked parking lot. The place sent violent shivers down my spine.

"I've seen worse." Scott said, annoyingly trying to sound optimistic.

"Where have you seen worse?" Stiles asked. 

"I don't like this place." I said, reaching out for the comfort of Stiles' hand. "It feels like something bad happened here."

Stiles squeezed my hand. "It's a shitty motel along the highway, I'd be more shocked if something bad didn't happen here."

I turned to look at him, putting the motel behind me. The neon lights of the motel sign glinted in Stiles' warm brown eyes. "Stiles, I'm serious. Can't we like, camp in the woods or something."

Stiles gestured to the sparse group of trees next to the motel. "That's barely a forest. And what if we get attacked by predators."

"Please, the scariest predator around here is Ethan." 

Ethan glared at us over his shoulder, his arm wrapped possessively around Danny's shoulder.

"What if we get attacked by a mountain lion." Stiles said.

"I'm pretty sure they stick to mountains." I said with a smirk. 

"A bear?"

"In the desert?"

"Yeah, a desert bear."

"You and I both know that's not a thing."

Stiles' feet shifted nervously. "What if you get bit by a snake?"

"I'll heal." 

"Okay, well what if I get bit by a snake, huh?" Stiles asked.

"I'll suck the poison out."

Stiles smirked and I knew he was thinking about the last time I tried _sucking_ something else.

I smacked him on the chest lightly. "Shut up."

He threw his head back in laughter. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah well your face said enough." I grumbled, but then fell into a fit of giggles when he nuzzled his nose against the side of my face, pressing kisses to my jaw and neck.

Coach came back then, holding a stack of keys. He blew his whistle to get our attention. "Listen up. The meet's been pushed till tomorrow. This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and least amount of good judgment when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yourselves. You'll be pairing up. Choose wisely. And I'll have no sexual perversions perpetrated by you little deviants. Got that? Keep your dirty little hands to your dirty little selves! His eyes fell to Stiles and I. "Especially you two."

I fake gasped and brought a hand to my chest in mock insult. Stiles' hand was already resting on my chest and I slapped his hand away. "Coach, we would never disobey you."

Coach snorted a laugh. "Uh huh, sure."

Scott walked forward to take a key from Coach's hand. "Don't worry, Stiles can sleep with me."

Stiles winked at Scott. "I knew you'd come around Scotty."

Scott rolled his eyes with a laugh and started towards the motel. 

Stiles and I had come out to each other as bisexual a few weeks ago, and the jokes he made like that never bothered me. I knew Stiles would never cheat on me.

"Race ya to the room." I said, breaking out of Stiles' arms and running to the stairs.

"You don't even know what room we're in!" Stiles called as he followed after me.

I yanked the key from Scott's grip as I ran past him. Room 213.

"You two are worse than children." Scott said as he walked up the stairs behind me.

Stiles reached the stairs, lightly gasping for air. "Pretty sure children don't have as much sex as we do." I heard Scott groan at that.

I reached the room and unlocked the door. I threw my bag down and collapsed on the nearest bed.

Scott and Stiles entered the room a second later. "Yeah Scott," I said from the bed. "I'm not a child, I'm 16 and a half."

"Using half ages makes you more childish." He said as he set his bag down and went to the bathroom to shower.

Stiles flopped down on his stomach next to me. "Speaking of half birthdays," I said, reaching up to slid a hand in Stiles' hair, he hummed and leaned into my touch, enjoying the feeling of me lightly rubbing his head. "We missed my half birthday this year."

With my birthday being in February, my half birthday happened to be in September.

"Yeah sorry, got a little distracted dealing with alpha packs and evil dark druids." Stiles said, hand sliding across my stomach, fingers dipping under my shirt lightly.

I leaned up to capture his lips, groaning as his tongue traced a path over my upper lip. "It's okay," I said in a whisper. "But I expect the best night out for my half birthday if we get back to Beacon Hills alive."

"Deal." Stiles mumbled against my lips.

The bathroom door creaked open then. "You two, separate." Scott said as he walked back into the room.

Stiles groaned and rolled off me, flopping hard to the mattress.

Scott did the same on the other bed. We sat in silence for a moment before I couldn't take it any longer. "Can we please talk about the Darach now?" 

Scott sighed. "Yes."

"All right, so I have four."Stiles started immediately.

"Four? You have four suspects?" Scott asked, looking over at us.

"Yeah, it was originally ten. Well, nine technically, I guess. I had Derek on there twice."

"So who's number one? Harris?" Scott asked.

I rolled myself over onto my stomach as they talked.

"Just because he's missing doesn't mean he's dead." Stiles explained.

"So if he's not dead, our chemistry teacher is out secretly committing human sacrifices." I said with a raised eyebrow. Stiles had kept his suspects mostly to himself until he had good reasoning behind each one.

"Yeah, I guess that just sounded way better in my head." He said, turning his head to look up at me.

"Well, what if it's somebody else from school? Like, you remember Matt? We didn't know that he was killing people." Scott said.

Stiles shot out of bed to look at Scott. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, what? I... yes, we did. I called that from day one, actually."

Scott propped himself up on his elbows to look at Stiles. "Yeah, but we never really seriously thought that it was Matt."

Stiles looked offended. "I was serious. I was quite serious, actually. Deadly serious. No one listened to me."

I rolled my eyes. "Who were the other three?" I asked.

"Derek's sister, Cora. No one knows anything about her, and she's Derek's sister. Next, your boss."

"Our boss?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, your boss. I don't really like the whole Obi-Wan thing he's got going on, you know. It freaks me out." Stiles said and Scott looked at him blankly, not getting the reference. "Oh, my God. Have you still not seen Star Wars?" I knew how sacred Star Wars was to Stiles.

"I swear, if we make it back alive, I will watch the movie." 

"Just makes me crazy." Stiles muttered.

"Who was the last one?" Scott asked.

Stiles let out a long sigh and sat back on the bed. "Lydia. She was totally controlled by Peter, and she had no idea, so..." Scott nodded. I really hope it wasn't Lydia again.

Scott and Stiles fell back onto the beds in perfect unison, both clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

Stiles sighed again a few moments later. He stood up and moved his neck from side to side, trying to crack it.

"I'm gonna get a snack from the vending machine, anyone want anything?" Stiles asked, fishing around in his pocket for change.

"Something with chocolate." I said with a smile. Stiles smiled back and left.

Scott left the room soon after, looking like he was in a daze. Maybe his injury was still hurting him.

I collapsed down on the bed and closed my eyes.

My mind instantly flooded with images of the car crash. I hadn't thought about that in weeks. Guilt overwhelmed me then. Why had my parents died and not me? Why did I live?

What did the universe want with me so badly that it kept me alive, a mere child of 4 years old, orphaned. And a werewolf as well. Leaving me alone in the world, to figure out how to control my urges during the full moon, hide it away from my very much human mother and human at the time brother. 

Tears welled up in my eyes. I just wanted to see my real parents again. My eyes flew open. I knew what I had to do. I had to join them.

I wandered into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror one last time. Taking in my blue eyes, my dark long hair. I sighed and stepped back, claws sliding out. Ready to open my veins up, let my life drain away to the dirty tiles below.

"Hey, so something weird just happened." Stiles said as he returned to the room. But his voice sounded like it was miles away.

I caught sight of him in the mirror. 

"Juliet, what are you doing?" He asked, taking a tentative step towards me, eyes trained on where my claws rested against my wrist. Somewhere in the back of my mind I sensed his anxiety spike, his heart pound so hard with terror in his chest, it sounded like it was trying to escape.

"I shouldn't have survived." I said, voice shaky. "My parents they... they died but I didn't. It seems so unfair."

Stiles was in the bathroom doorway now, hands outstretched like he was trying not to scare a feral animal. "Juliet, listen to me. It's wasn't your fault. You were a child. And yeah it's horrible that they both died but-"

I cut him off. "You weren't there! You didn't have to sit in a car upside down, smelling their blood and bodies for hours!" I was shouting but I couldn't bring myself to be quiet. 

"I know, I know. I wasn't there, but please." He broke off with a small sob. "Please don't do this." His voice was a broken whisper.

My hand moved up, ready to slice my arm open from elbow to wrist, when Stiles lunged. He pinned my arms tightly to my sides, I wriggled against him, growling and using every ounce of strength in my arms to break free.

Stiles' arms let me go and I stumbled back, tripping over the towel Scott left on the floor and falling into the heater set into the wall. I hissed with pain and slid to the floor, clutching my burnt arm to my chest. The pain faded quickly and I looked up with unfocused eyes to see Stiles standing nearby, tears still glistening on his cheeks, chest heaving.

The reality of what I almost did crashed over me. "What, what happened?" I asked, sitting up, rubbing my arm.

Stiles sank down next to me. "You're not gonna try that again are you?" Stiles asked, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. It's like, this thought invaded my head and I couldn't shake it."

I reached my hand out to touch Stiles' and he pulled me into his lap. His arms wrapped tightly around me again, this time holding me to him as he shook with sobs.

"Jesus Christ, don't scare me like that again." He whispered into my hair.

I ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." I mumbled back. I stood up, grabbing Stiles' hand to bring him with me. 

We went back into the bedroom and I noticed the pile of candy and chocolate thrown onto one of the beds. "I said to get me something with chocolate, not everything the vending machine had with chocolate in it." I turned to face him with a laugh.

"Oh yeah, that's what I wanted to tell you." He said, pulling me to sit on the bed next to the candy. I picked up a bar of chocolate and unwrapped it, smiling as I took a huge bite of it. I reached up with my other hand to wipe away a few stray tears clinging to the sides of Stiles' eyes. "Boyd was acting strange, he punched the vending machine and broke it."

"So naturally you stole a whole bunch of stuff?" I said with a grin. 

Stiles chuckled. "Yeah. But he had the same weird zombie look on his face that you just had." 

I swallowed hard, chocolate getting stuck in my suddenly dry throat. "Do you think he's gonna try hurting himself too?" 

"I dunno, but we should go find him." Stiles said.

I shoved the rest of the chocolate in my mouth and followed after him.

We checked Boyd and Isaac's room, but there was no sign of either of them, just the static of the tv as it flashed black and grey. I sighed and we went back to our room.

I hopped in the shower as Stiles brushed his teeth. The water was ice cold so I took the quickest shower of my life, deciding to not bother to wash my hair. I climbed out and dried myself off with a towel that smelt like years and years worth of smokers had used it. Gross.

Stiles turned to me as I got dressed. "Uh, Lydia wants to talk, but um, she said to come alone."

I pulled my shirt over my head. "So naturally, I'm coming with you."

As we went to leave, Scott was staring out the window blankly. Oh no, was he acting weird too.

"Hey, Scott, you okay?" Stiles asked and Scott turned around fast, like he hadn't expected us to be there.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said with a strained smile.

"Okay," Stiles said and we left. 

We met up with Allison and Lydia in their room. Lydia seemed annoyed that I had tagged along. "Stiles, I said come alone, which meant no werewolves."

"Hey, where he goes, I go." I said, taking a seat on their bed.

Lydia sighed, knowing she couldn't win this argument. She gave us a quick run down of the 198 suicides that have happened in the motel, and now the number went up to 201 when her and Allison went back to ask the front desk lady about it.

Allison described to us how spacey Scott was. He had walked into the bathroom while she was in the shower and had tried to pull the curtain aside. "Last time I saw Scott act like that was during the full moon." She said.

"Yeah, I know. He was definitely a little off with me too, but actually, it was Boyd who was really off. I watched him put his fist through the vending machine." Stiles said.

Lydia looked at me. "Have you felt weird at all?" 

My hand came up to rub the spot on my arm that had been burnt by the heater. "Um, yeah, I already had a weird moment." I admitted softly. "I'm fine now." I hoped they didn't ask me to elaborate on my situation. Stiles seemed to be watching me constantly now, even while talking to Lydia and Allison he was keeping an eye on me.

"See, it is the motel. Either we need to get out of here right now, or... " Lydia searched around in the side table and pulled out a tattered red bible. "Someone needs to learn how to do an exorcism asap, before the werewolves go crazy and kill us." She cast a look at me. "No offense." 

"Okay, just hold on, all right? What if it's not just the motel? The number in the office went up by three, right?" Stiles said.

"You mean like three sacrifices?" I asked.

"What if this time it's three werewolves?" He said.

"Well I feel fine now." I said. I wouldn't be anyone's werewolf sacrifice again tonight.

"What about Scott, Isaac, and Boyd." Allison said.

"Maybe we were meant to come here." Stiles said.

"Exactly! So can we get the hell out of here now? Please?" Lydia begged.

Stiles' eyes fell to the bible still clutched in Lydia's hands, extra bits of paper were hanging out over the edge of the pages. "Wait, hang on. Let me see this." He took it from her and shook it out. Yellowed bits of news paper clippings fell out onto the bed next to me. 

"What is that?" Allison asked.

""28 year-old man hangs himself at the infamous Glen Capri."" Stiles said, reading one of the articles.

"Oh, no. Look at these two. They both mention the room 217. These are probably all the suicides that happened in this room." Lydia said, reading two more. Lydia and Allison's room was 217.

"So if every room has a Bible..." Allison said.

"There could be articles in all the rooms." I said, eyes flicking up to look at Stiles.

"That's a beautiful thing. Most places leave a mint under the pillow. This one leaves a record of all the horrible deaths that occurred." He said, hands fluttering nervously again.

"What if the room next door has the one about the couple?" Lydia said. She had heard a couple next door both shoot themselves in the head, but when her and Allison went to look, there was no one. Actually the room was under construction.

We quickly ran next door to check out that room's bible. Stiles tried the doorknob, but the door was locked.

"No, that was not locked before." Lydia said.

"Forget it. We need to get Scott, Isaac, and Boyd out of here." I said, turning to leave. There was a sudden loud buzzing from behind the closed door. We all froze.

"I'm not the only one who heard that, am I?" I said.

"It sounds like someone turned the handsaw on." Allison said.

"Handsaw?" Stiles demanded loudly.

I twisted the doorknob hard in my hand, easily snapping the lock and I pushed the door open. Before I had the chance to move Stiles pushed past me. Ethan was standing in the middle of the room, shirt open, handsaw raised to his stomach.

"Hey, no, Ethan, don't!" Stiles yelled as he wrestled the handsaw away from Ethan. Why was he so reckless!

He managed to rip it from Ethan's grip. The handsaw fell to the ground, and Stiles fell with it. Lydia found the power cord and ripped it from the wall right as Stiles' face fell inches away from the saw. It stopped spinning and Stiles fell to the side of it.

Ethan's claws slid out, he placed them on his stomach like he was planning on ripping himself open. Oh no, I'm not going through that again. I grabbed one arm, Stiles got to his feet and grabbed the other and pulled his hands away from his stomach. His alpha strength was almost too much. He ripped away from us, and in the process, fell onto the space heater. He yelled out and collapsed to the ground.

I glared at Stiles. "Stiles! You should have let me deal with the handsaw!" I scolded, running my hands up his arms.

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"What just happened?" Ethan demanded, climbing to his feet to glare at all of us.

He stormed out of the room and we all followed after him. He buttoned up his shirt as he walked.

"Ethan!" I called out after him. "What happened?"

Ethan pounded down the stairs back to his room. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I don't know how I got there or what I was doing."

"Okay, you could be a little bit more helpful, you know? We did just save your life." Stiles said.

"And you probably shouldn't have." He said, disappearing into his room.

"What now?" Lydia asked.

"I'll find Scott. You guys grab Isaac and Boyd. The best thing we can do is get them out of this place." Allison said as she ran back up the stairs.

Stiles' eyes flicked over to Lydia. "What?" She asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, no, I w..." He stuttered.

"Stiles." She said in a stern tone.

"All right, Lydia. I didn't want to say anything, but this... everything we're going through... we've kind of been through something like this before, a lot like this." He said.

"What do you mean? When?"

"Your birthday party, the night you poisoned everyone with wolfsbane." I said softly. Lydia looked horrified, like she had forgotten about that whole night.

Lydia started walking away from the stairs.

"Lydia, I'm sorry, okay? Look, I didn't mean that you're trying to kill people, okay? I just... I just meant that maybe... maybe you're somehow involved in getting people to kill themselves, you know? Which now that I say that out loud, it just sounds really terrible, so I'm just going to stop talking." Stiles said as we followed after her.

Lydia stopped walking and looked around. "Stiles, Juliet... Do you hear that?" She asked, head whipping from side to side.

"What?" Stiles asked.

Lydia had stopped walking in front of a drain. She knelt down, ear close to the grate.

"Lydia, what do you hear?" Stiles asked, his eyes met mine and I shook my head. I didn't hear anything.

"A baby crying." Lydia muttered. "I hear... I hear water running. Oh, my God. She's drowning the baby." Lydia had tears in her eyes. "Someone's drowning!"

She stood up and the three of us had the same thought. No one had seen Isaac or Boyd for a while.

I sprinted past the two of them, taking the stairs up to Isaac and Boyd's room two at a time.

I flung the door open, the TV still crackling with static in the corner. Isaac was still nowhere to be found, but in the tub, crushed under the weight of the motel safe, was Boyd. His eyes were open, bubbles slipping past his lips. Stiles came in behind me and tried draining the water.

"He blocked it. He blocked the drain with something. I can't get to it." He said as I tried lifting the safe. It wiggled and shifted in the water but not much more. Water spilled over the side of the tub and onto the floor as the safe moved.

"What do we do?" Lydia asked in a hysterical voice.

"Help me Stiles." I said, groaning as I kept trying to move the safe. Stiles and Lydia grunted as they tried. "Christ, I know Boyd was stronger than me but how did he carry this up the stairs." I said, brushing my hair back from my face with a wet hand.

"Is he dead? How long can a werewolf stay underwater?" She said, turning to me. 

"You think I know that?" I asked, standing up too fast and running into Stiles.

He stumbled back. I heard a hiss as his arm hit the heater on the wall. " Ow! Wait a sec, the heater. Heater... Juliet, you and Ethan both came out of it when you touched the heater." He said and I nodded furiously.

"What?" Lydia asked.

"It's heat, heat, fire. Heat does it, all right? We need something... We need fire." Stiles said, rambling as he tried to think of an idea.

"He's underwater." I yelled, feeling frustrated and panicked.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that." Stiles yelled back.

"Wait, wait. The bus. On the bus, they'll have emergency road flares. They have their own oxidizers. They can burn underwater." Lydia said.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yes, go!" She said and I took off in a sprint to the bus. I stumbled onto the bus, rummaging around for the box. It was crammed under the driver's seat. I grabbed two of the three that were there and raced back to Boyd's room.

"I got 'em." I said, out of breath and pushed one into Stiles' hands.

"What do I do? How do I do this?" Stiles asked.

"The cap, it's like a match. The cap's a match." Lydia said.

Stiles took the cap off, and struck the cap across the flare, failed to light it a few times.

"Stiles!" I yelled, eyes finding Boyd's legs sticking out from the tub.

"Yeah, I'm trying." He said. He got it on the next strike. It flared an angry red and I shielded my eyes from it.

Stiles ran to the tub and plunged the flare into the water next to Boyd's face. Boyd sat up immediately, flinging the safe across the room. I threw myself in front of Stiles and Lydia in case he decided to attack. His eyes flashed gold and he roared so loudly it shook the walls. Boyd's eyes flickered around wildly until settling on the three of us, soaked and breathing hard. He stood up, dripping water all over the floor.

Stiles slipped the other flare out of my hand. "What are you doing?"

"We found Isaac hiding under the bed." Lydia said as Stiles lit the other flare and knelt down in front of one of the beds. He lifted the blankets, and I saw the vague shadow of Isaac's body, curled up in a ball. 

"Hey, Isaac. Got something here for you." Stiles said and shoved the flare into Isaac's face. Isaac roared and Stiles scrambled away from him. 

Isaac shot out from under the bed. I got in his way before he could move towards Stiles or Lydia.

"Isaac," I said, eyes flashing gold, my voice a snarl. "Calm down." I said. I reached a tentative hand out and wrapped it around his forearm. I focused on soothing thoughts. His breathing calmed down and he sat down on the bed, clearly exhausted now.

"You two, stay here." Stiles said.

We went out to the hallway and ran into Allison. "I can't find Scott anywhere." She said as we walked down the stairs.

"It's happening to him too, isn't it?" Stiles asked.

"It has to be. Didn't you say there was another flare on the bus?" Lydia asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah. I'll get it." I said, jogging over to the bus.

But as I rounded the bus, I noticed the sharp tang of gasoline in the air. There was an eerie red glow. 

I gasped when I saw Scott standing in a puddle, a lit flare clutched in his hand. There was an empty canister of gasoline sitting on the ground near Scott. I looked at Scott and realized he was dripping. He had dumped gasoline all over himself.

Holy shit, he was gonna set himself on fire.

"Scott... Scott." Allison said slowly. We stood in a semi circle in front of Scott.

"There's no hope." Scott said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"What do you mean, Scott? There's always hope." Allison said, she had started to cry.

"Not for me. Not for Derek." He said, eyes unfocused on the ground in front of him.

"Derek wasn't your fault. You know Derek wasn't your fault." I said, trying to keep my voice steady but failing.

"Every time I try to fight back, it just gets worse. People keep getting hurt. People keep getting killed." Scott said and I choked back a sob.

"Scott, listen to me, okay? This isn't you, all right? This is someone inside your head telling you to do this. Okay? Now..." Stiles said, using the same soothing tone he had used on me earlier. 

Scott was trembling with tears now. "What if it isn't? What if it is just me? What if doing this is actually the best thing that I could do for everyone else? It all started that night, the night I got bitten. You remember the way it was before that? You and me and Juliet, we were... we were... we were nothing. We weren't popular. We weren't good at lacrosse.

We weren't important. We were no one. Maybe I should just be no one again." His eyes finally moved up to meet Stiles' "No one at all." Scott's arm moved out, like he was ready to drop the flare.

Stiles was holding back tears as he took a slow step forward. "Scott, just listen to me, okay? You're not no one. Okay? You're someone, you're... Scott, you're my best friend. Okay? And I need you. Scott, you're my brother." Stiles took another step forward, his foot now resting in puddle of gasoline. I let out a small sob and tried to move forward, to do anything to stop the two of them from potentially going up in flames. Lydia clutched my arm tightly, keeping me back.

"All right, so... so if you're gonna do this, then... I think you're just gonna have to take me with you. All right? " Stiles said, voice trembling now as he wrapped his hand around the flare, yanking it from Scott's hand. He chucked it to the side, it landed harmlessly onto dry concrete. Scott sobbed hard and I watched as a huge gust of wind made the flare roll back towards the puddle.

"No!" I cried out, and in unison, Lydia, Allison and I threw ourselves at Scott and Stiles, tackling them to the ground away from the gasoline. The flare ignited the gas in a big whoosh. I looked over my shoulder and through the flames, emerged a terrifying scarred figure, eyes too wide in its pale face. 

I recoiled and it disappeared as the flames settled. 

I met Lydia's gaze, she had clearly seen the figure as well.

We untangled ourselves and got up off the ground. Scott and Stiles hugged tightly before Scott dragged me in the middle of the hug. I let out a long sigh of relief as I absorbed their familiar presences and warmth.

"Can we please not sleep in the murder motel tonight?" I mumbled and Scott and Stiles chuckled and agreed. 

After Scott changed clothes and we gathered up all our stuff, we started back towards the bus. I stopped outside Boyd and Isaac's door. I knocked and Isaac answered it, looking sleep rumpled.

"The rest of us are sleeping on the bus tonight if you guys wanna join." I said.

They packed their stuff up and were out of the room in 2 minutes flat.

We settled into the bus, everyone was exhausted. 

Stiles put his sweater behind his head as a make shift pillow and I laid on my side, resting my head in his lap.

I fell asleep to Stiles' slender fingers gently brushing through my hair.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Coach was the last person I wanted to hear as soon as I woke up.

The bus door squeaked open. "I don't want to know." Came Coach's voice, startling everyone awake. 

Stiles' sweater slipped down from behind his head and hit me in the face.

"I really don't want to know, but in case you missed the announcement, the meet's cancelled, so we're heading home. Pack it in. Pack it in!" Coach was still yelling as the other students boarded the bus.

I sat up and groaned. My body felt like one giant bruise after our wild night.

Ethan sat down next to Scott, in front of Stiles and I. "I don't know what happened last night, but I'm pretty sure you saved my life." He said to Scott.

"Actually, we saved your life, but not that it matters that much. It's just... it's minor detail." Stiles said, gesturing to him and me.

Ethan ignored him and kept speaking to Scott. "So I'm gonna give you something. We're pretty sure Derek's still alive. But he killed one of ours. That means one of two things can happen. Either he joins our pack... "

"And kills his own." Scott said.

"Or Kali goes after him, and we kill him. That's the way it works."

"You know, your little code of ethics there is sort of barbaric, just F.Y.I." Stiles said as Ethan stood up to join Danny.

Lydia stood then, asking Coach for his whistle and wrestling it off him while he protested loudly. She sat down across from Scott and wrapped her hand around the whistle so it barely made a noise as she blew into it. 

She unwrapped her hand. Resting in her palm was a familiar black powder. "Wolfsbane." She said quietly.

"So every time the coach blew the whistle on the bus, Juliet, Scott, Isaac, Boyd..." Stiles trailed off.

"And Ethan." Lydia said.

"We all inhaled it." Scott said.

"You were all poisoned by it." Allison said from next to Stiles and I.

"So that's how the Darach got in their heads. That's how he did it." Stiles said. In a flash, he took the whistle from Lydia, leaned over me to fight with the window latches and tossed the offending whistle out the window.

The bus engine rumbled to life and pulled out of the creepy motel's parking lot.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Stilinski!" Coach yelled as the bus pulled back onto the highway.

Stiles sat back down and wiped his hands on his pants. I sighed.

"I'm still exhausted." I balled up Stiles' sweater and rested it and my head against his shoulder. "Wake me up when we're home." Stiles' arm wrapped around my waist and I dozed off, as the bus traveled back to Beacon Hills.


	7. Chapter 7

Stiles and I were in his Jeep, parked on the preserve, making out, when my phone rang.

I groaned and reached for my discarded jeans. I pulled my phone out and answered it. "Hello?" I asked as Stiles dragged his hands along my waist to grip my hips tightly, trying to fight the annoyance from sliding into my voice.

"Get to the hospital, there's two more missing people." Scott said and hung up before I could reply.

I sighed and looked down at Stiles sprawled under me, chest still heaving. I patted his chest. "Come on, we're needed at the hospital." I climbed off him and dug around for my clothes. 

I got out to quickly dress. I got into the passenger seat, listening to Stiles grumble as he wiped the steam off the windshield. "Man, we were so close to having sex in the Jeep again." 

I giggled as he started down the dark roads of the preserve and towards the hospital.

When we arrived, Mom, Scott and the Sheriff would standing outside the main doors, where a car was sitting, it had ran into a line of parked cars.

"Hang on, hang on. They were both in the car?" The Sheriff asked, after Scott explained that two doctors were missing.

"No, Dad, they're trying to tell you that it was two separate kidnappings, okay? Two doctors, both gone." Stiles explained.

"So whose car is this?" He asked.

"Dr. Hilyard, the on-call doctor. The E.R. attending is the one that never made it in." Mom explained.

"Let me just focus on getting your story first, all right?" Mr. Stilinski said to Mom.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Kids, give us a second." He said and ushered Mom off to the side.

"These are definitely sacrifices, right?" Scott said.

"Yeah, it's the one Deaton mentioned, Healers." Stiles said, hands moving restlessly.

"What about Danny? He threw up mistletoe." Scott said, he had quickly told us about Danny and Ethan showing up at the hospital, Danny's horrible chest pain and the badass way Mom had helped him. "That's not a coincidence, and if he hadn't been with Ethan, he probably would've died. Danny's not a healer. I... "

"Can you hear that?" Stiles asked us, pointing past us to where his dad had gotten a phone call.

I listened in, and then met Stiles' eyes. "They found a body." 

Mom joined us. "You three should go home." She said, patting Scott and my arms before walking back into the hospital.

"Scott, we should stay here until her shift is over in case she's the third one taken." I said and Scott nodded.

I gave Stiles a quick kiss goodbye and Scott and I went into the hospital, sitting in the now nearly empty waiting room, the people involved in the 10 car pile up had all been taken care of.

Scott ended up falling asleep, his head resting on my shoulder as I tried doing homework.

Mom came out of the nurses station and sighed when she saw us. "Didn't I tell you two to go home?"

I nudged Scott, who woke with a gasp. "We wanted to make sure you got home safe." I said, putting my textbook away.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's go home."

At home, we waited until she fell asleep, which didn't take long, her shifts always exhausted her. Scott, Isaac and I snuck into her room, taking turns being on watch in case she was kidnapped.

I took first watch, which was just 3 long hours of me sitting in the chair at the end of her bed, texting Stiles.

I poked Scott awake at the end of my shift, we switched spots and I curled up on the floor, falling asleep in seconds.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Hey, kids. Children!" Mom's voice came the next morning. The three of us shot out of sleep and got to our feet. "What do you think you're doing?" Mom asked as she sat up in bed.

"Uh, we were watching over you." Isaac admitted.

"We wanted to make sure you weren't the third sacrifice." I said.

"But all of you were asleep."

"You were on watch last." I hissed to Isaac.

"What are you talking about? Scott was on watch last." He insisted.

"No, you were on watch last." Scott said.

"I might've been on watch last." Isaac said.

"My heroes. Wait, didn't you say that they were all doctors? I mean, I haven't had an M.D. recently attached to the end of my name, so I think I'm in the clear." Mom said.

"Yeah, but it could just come under any kind of healer, Mom, and you were definitely a healer last night." Scott said, referring to her badass moment of saving Danny.

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna be anyone's human sacrifice today, so all of you get your butts to school." She said as she flung her blankets aside and stood up.

As normal, Stiles picked me up for school, and Isaac and Scott took Scott's bike to school.

We walked into chemistry class, and I sat down between Scott and Stiles. 

Ms. Blake walked in then, putting the textbook down on the table. "Good morning." She greeted. "As you all know, Mr. Harris is still missing... I mean, sick." She corrected and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, even the kids at school who didn't know about the supernatural shit in town knew that he was missing. "Anyway, I'm filling in while we all hope and pray for a more qualified substitute to take my place. Okay, so let's get started, shall we?"

Stiles leaned over to whisper to Scott and I, "Hey, my dad said that the E.R. attending wasn't strangled but did die from asphyxiation. They just don't know how." The body they found had been the other doctor no one could find the night before.

"Do you think the on-call doctor could still be alive?" I whispered back.

"I don't know... But, guys, there's got to be at least 20 other doctors in that hospital... at least, you know? Any one of them could be next." Stiles said.

Scott's phone buzzed loudly then, he dug it out and bent behind the desk to answer it. "Hey, doc. Sorry, I'm in class right now. Can I call you back later?" He said in a whisper.

"Unfortunately, no." I heard Deaton say. "I honestly thought I might never have to burden you like this, but I'm afraid, at the moment, you're my only hope. I'm going to be taken. I need you to find me."

"Doc, doc, doc, doc? What's happening?" Scott said, but he had hung up. Scott's eyes met mine and I nodded.

He sprung from his chair and raced out of the room, Ms. Blake turned to look at the door confused.

"Deaton's the next one to be taken." I whispered to Stiles as I shoved my stuff into my bag and rushed after Scott. "Uh, family emergency." I called over my shoulder to Ms. Blake.

Outside, Scott already had the bike running and he tossed me the helmet as I ran. I put it on and swung myself up behind him.

I don't think Scott's ever driven faster then he did then. He parked the bike outside the clinic and we ran inside.

Standing in the lobby was the Sheriff and his deputy.

"How did you know?" Scott asked.

"Stiles called me as soon as you left school. I'm sorry. Your boss's car is still here, and the back door was wide open." The Sheriff said, Scott sat down heavily in a chair. "Scott, Juliet... I need you two to tell me everything."

Scott told the Sheriff about the phone call. Stiles showed up a little while later. 

"All right, we're doing everything we can. Right now, the best thing you can do is go back to school." Mr. Stilinski said, clapping Scott on the shoulder and walking away.

Scott gestured for us to follow him into the cat clinic. We closed the door behind us.

"We have to tell him." Scott said.

"You mean, like, tell him, tell him, or tell him something else that isn't telling him what I think you want to tell him?" Stiles said, one hand resting on an empty cage.

"You know what I mean."

"You remember how your mom reacted? She didn't look you guys in the eye for, like, a week." Stiles said.

"And she got over it, and... and it actually made us closer." He said, meeting my gaze and I nodded.

"I don't know, dude. I mean, look at him. Come on, he's completely overwhelmed as it is." Stiles said, looking at his dad through the window, he was running a frustrated hand over his head.

"He's overwhelmed because he has no clue what's happening. He's got people dying in his town, the town that he's supposed to protect, and it's not his fault that he doesn't know what's happening. He's gonna find out sooner or later." Scott said.

"Yeah, but is now really the right time?" Stiles said.

"What if not telling him now gets someone else killed?" Scott said softly.

"What if telling him gets him killed, huh? I mean, okay, look, I get that Deaton's been like a father to you. I get that, okay? But this is m... " Stiles stopped for a second. His voice was a broken rasp when he spoke again. "Scott, this is my actual father. I can't... I can't lose both of my parents, all right? Not both of them." His anxiety had risen again and I reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"You're right." Scott said.

"No, I'm not." Stiles said with a sigh. "I'm not right. I'll tell him."

I squeezed Stiles' hand again."I'll help you."

"We both will." Scott said and he opened the door to return to the lobby.

"Please, whatever you need, however you can help find my brother." A voice said, I walked around Scott and saw Ms. Morrell standing there, looking worried.

The Sheriff nodded. "Will you excuse us for a moment?" He said and went to talk to his deputy.

Ms. Morrell walked up to the three of us, her expression changing into a stern one. "Okay, listen closely, both of you. No sheriff, deputy, or detective is going to be able to find him."

"You don't have to ask us for help." Scott said.

"Actually, I'm trying to help you, because, if you're going to find my brother, then you need to use the one person who might actually have an ability to seek out the supernatural." She said, and we all knew who she was thinking.

"Lydia." Stiles said. Stiles and I got into the Jeep, Scott on his bike and we raced back to school.

"Lydia could be anywhere." Stiles said as we drove.

I checked the time on the Jeep's dashboard. "I know where she'll be. It's her free period, she's in Coach's office with Aiden."

Stiles shook his head as we pulled into a parking space.

Coach's office had two doors, one leading out to the main hallways and another one leading into the boys locker room. The locker room was closer so we walked towards that.

The fire alarm was going off as we walked through the halls.

I heard voices in the office, but it didn't sound like Aidan and Lydia. 

"Let go." Lydia was saying. I flung the door open to see Cora, gripping Lydia's arm tightly in hers. "I said..."

I took a step forward as Stiles said behind me. "Let go. She said, let go."

Cora narrowed her eyes at me and I growled low in my throat. 

"If you're finished with her," I said to Cora, fake kindness dripping in my tone. "We need her help." Lydia stormed over to Stiles and I, and the three of us started down the hallway.

We found an empty science room and Cora reluctantly followed. I texted Scott to tell him that we found her. I'm not sure where he had disappeared to.

Lydia sat down and Stiles plopped a box down in front of her. "A Ouija board?" She said, reading the box.

He worked the box open and took the board out, setting it down in front of Lydia. "Also called a spirit board, and it's worth a shot." 

"A shot in the dark." Lydia muttered. Cora leaned against the table next to Lydia and I sat on a stool across from Lydia.

"Could you just try it, please, okay? Let's not forget who this is for... Scott and Juliet's boss, the guy who has saved our collective asses on more than one occasion."

"Oh, wait, should we all do this?" I asked as Lydia put her hand on the planchette.

"Yeah, yeah." Stiles said, and Cora, him and I rested our hands on it as well. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah." Lydia said.

"Yes." Cora said.

"Yep." I said.

"Where's Dr. Deaton?" Stiles said. The room went silent. We all looked at Lydia.

She noticed our stares. "What?" She asked innocently.

"Aren't you gonna answer it?" Stiles said.

"Oh, I don't know the answer. I thought we were asking some sort of spirit." She said.

"Well, do you know any spirits?" Cora asked.

"Is she for real?" Lydia asked and Stiles sighed, taking the board away.

Stiles rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

"Okay, these are Deaton's keys for the clinic. Close you're eyes, and I'm gonna put 'em in your hand, and then we're just gonna try and see if you can feel out for his location. It's called psychometry." Stiles explained.

"I'm not a psychic." Lydia said.

"You're something!" He snapped. "Okay? Just, Lydia, put out your hand, and... " He dropped the keys into her hand and she flinched. "What?" Stiles asked, thinking that she instantly felt something.

"They're cold." She said simply and Cora and I rolled our eyes in unison. Stiles' eye twitched. 

"Lydia, concentrate, please? Trying to save lives here, for the love of God." He muttered.

Lydia's eyes closed, her fingers rolling over the keys. Her brow furrowed. "What is it? What do you see?" I asked, leaning forward on the stool.

She opened her eyes. "Nothing." She said with a sigh, handing Stiles back the keys.

He dug a pencil out of his bag and handed it out to her. "Automatic writing?" She said with a quirked eyebrow. Stiles nodded and she blew out a long breath. She started doodling on the page in front of her.

I cocked my head to the side. Definitely not words. "Lydia, what are you doing? What... what the hell is that?" Stiles asked, turning his head to look at it.

"A tree." She muttered as she added more branches to it.

"A tr- Lydia, you're supposed to be writing words, like in sentences, something like a location, something that would tell us where he is." Stiles said.

"Well, maybe you should've said that." She replied.

"Isn't she supposed to be some kind of genius?" Cora asked.

"Genius? Yes. Psychic, no. Honestly, I don't know why you're even bothering with me anyway. I mean, especially since it's obvious you should be talking to Danny." Lydia said.

Stiles' head shot up. " What? Why Danny?"

"Because..." Scott said, appearing in the doorway, clutching his shoulder. I noticed the blood dripping around his fingers. "Last night, he was a target. But it wasn't a sacrifice."

"But isn't Danny still in the hospital?" Cora said as we all hurried from the classroom.

"Yeah. That's where we're going right now." Stiles said.

"I'll meet you there." Scott said.

"Why?" I asked. Scott turned to show me his phone, he had a text from Allison saying that she found something and wanted to show Scott. 

The rest of us, myself, Stiles, Lydia and Cora all got into the Jeep.

Stiles parked the Jeep and said. "Okay, you three, wait here."

"Why do you get to be the only one who goes in?" I asked. What if one of the alphas was still hanging around.

"Because I'm the stealthiest." Stiles said.

I let out a small laugh. "You most definitely are not."

Cora rolled her eyes as she watched us bicker.

"Fine, because Danny likes me the most." He replied.

Lydia snorted out a laugh. "No he doesn't"

"Would you just go already." Cora snapped.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." I said to Stiles. 

We climbed out of the Jeep and made our way to Danny's room.

"You keep watch." He said as we approached the door.

"Why do I have to keep watch?" 

"Because usually I have to keep watch and I wanna be useful today." He said and I sighed.

"Fine."

Stiles opened the door and slipped inside. I pulled my phone out and pretended to text someone as I listened to him move around in Danny's room.

"Danny, you awake? Danny?" I heard him whisper, followed by a light smacking sound. Oh my god was he hitting Danny to see if he was awake?

"What are you doing?" Danny muttered as I heard Stiles rustling around in Danny's bag.

"I'm not doing anything, Danny. This is just a dream that you're having." Stiles replied.

"Why are you going through my stuff?" Danny still sounded half asleep.

"Right, but only in the dream, remember? Dream. Dreaming." Stiles whispered back.

"Why would I dream about you going through my stuff?"

"I don't know that, Danny, okay? It's your dream. Take responsibility for it. Shut up and go back to sleep." Stiles snapped, followed by more rustling. "Danny boy, you might've actually found something here." He quickly left the room. He handed me the report Danny had written for Mr. Harris. It was all about the energy currents that flowed throughout Beacon Hills.

I called Scott as we left the hospital. Before I had the chance to tell him about the report, he told he how Allison's dad was keeping track of where the bodies had been found, and where potential sacrifices might be found.

"Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town. I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough."

I handed the phone to Stiles. "Well, we might not have to. Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris's physics class, and I think it actually means something."

"What project?" Scott asked.

"Something on telluric currents." Stiles replied, reading the title page on the report.

"Did you say currents?" Scott asked.

"Yeah." Stiles replied.

"Meet me at the vet clinic." Scott said in a rush and hung up.

Stiles and I hurried back to the Jeep. 

Scott was already in the back exam room, the rest of us joined him around the table in the middle of the room.

"Okay, so, what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora asked.

"Because it's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields. They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases, all right? Now, look at this. This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal." Stiles said, flipping to the first page of the report.

""I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class."" I read out.

"Harris wasn't just a sacrifice. He knew something." Scott said.

"Now, check this out. Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one too. Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay? Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually is a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town." Stiles said as he unfolded a map Danny had shoved inside the pages of the report.

Scott took out a pen and circled two spots on the map."Stiles, look, they match. All right, there's three places, right? Where they're kidnapped, and then the place where their body was found." Scott said, showing the markings Chris had made on his own map.

"Look, that's right on the telluric current." I said, leaning forward to get a closer look. 

"So, maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between." Scott said.

"Let me see that." Stiles said, taking the pen from Scott. "You said there's six more bodies to be found. Deaton's one of them. Got to be somewhere in between, right?" He started marking off the other spots where the currents crossed each other.

"Stop." Cora said, placing her hand over Stiles'. She pushed it to another intersection. Directly over the Beacon Hills First National bank. "He's in the vault. He's in the same vault."

We started packing up our stuff to leave.

"Guys, hold on." Lydia said, stopping to wait for Cora.

"Lydia, we don't have time." I said.

Cora looked up from her phone. "It's Boyd. The plan didn't work. They cut the power." Boyd had come up with a great plan to use water and electricity to stop the alphas when they planned to invade Derek's loft.

"It's just like he said." Scott muttered to himself. I wondered who "he" was. "Go. I can save Deaton myself." Scott said.

"I'll come with you." I said.

"What? Scott, Juliet, what about us?" Stiles asked, reaching out for my hand.

I gave his hand a squeeze. "Cora can't get there fast enough without you. Go. We can save both of them."

Stiles nodded. "All right, let's go." We all went to our respective vehicles and made our way to save two people at once.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We flew on Scott's bike to the bank. The door was still half open from the last time we were here. We ran inside and made our way in the dim building to the vault.  
Suspended a foot or two off the floor, was Deaton, hanging painfully by his wrists, the ropes digging deep into his arms.

Scott ran for him. I hung back and noticed the ring of mountain ash around Deaton too late. "Scott, wait!" I yelled, but Scott bounced off the barrier, landing on the ground with a loud grunt.

Scott stood and approached the circle with his hands raised. "Scott, what are you gonna do?" I cried out, hearing Deaton struggling for breath. "Push through the barrier?"

He started pushing against it, a slight white haze appeared in the air around his hands. "What else am I supposed to do." He said. "Now, help me."

I went up to the barrier, raising my hands and pushing against the force. I grunted as the ash tried to resist us, pushing us back, but I planted my feet and pushed harder. It felt like gravity itself was pressing on us.

I looked over at Scott, his eyes had gone gold as the ash fought against his werewolf side. For a second, the gold bled into bright alpha red and I almost stumbled with shock.

The barrier seemed to give a giant shove and the two of us fell backwards to the ground.

"Juliet, Scott! Let me give it a shot." A voice said. I turned to see the Sheriff in the vault opening, gun raised. He pulled the trigger, a shot rang out in the quiet room and I flinched hard at the noise.

The bullet sliced through the ropes holding Deaton up. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. The Sheriff ran over and helped Deaton sit up. He pulled him out of the ash and leaned him up against the wall.

"How'd you find us?" I asked.

"The vials in the clinic with the Celtic symbols on 'em? I knew that one of 'em looked familiar." The Sheriff said, pointing over his shoulder to the banks logo printed on the floor of the vault.

"Sheriff, thank you for being one hell of a Detective." Deaton said, still out of breath.

"You bet. Let's get you an ambulance." The Sheriff said with a smile and got up go to the vault door.

Deaton's hand came up to clutch Scott's shirt. "Your eyes were red. Bright red."

Scott looked horrified. "How is that possible?"

"Paramedics are on their way. I'll be back in half a minute." The Sheriff called over to us.

Deaton gave him a quick smile and the Sheriff left the vault. "It's rare. It's something that doesn't happen within 100 years, but every once in a while a beta can become an alpha without having to steal or take that power. They call it a true alpha. It's one who rises purely on the strength of the character, by virtue, by sheer force of will." 

"You knew this would happen." Scott said.

"I believed. From the moment I knew you were bitten, I believed."

"You're not the only one." I whispered.

Deaton shook his head. "No. Deucalion isn't after Derek. He's after Scott."

The paramedics walked in carrying a stretcher then. They took Deaton out on it and Scott and I followed them outside. The ambulance lights were bright after the dim of the vault.

"How did you two know where Deaton was?" The Sheriff asked me as I made my way to Scott's motorbike.

"Oh, um, same as you, the Celtic symbols." I said, fumbling for an excuse.

The Sheriff nodded, unconvinced. "Huh uh, sure." He went over to the ambulance as they loaded Deaton inside.

"Can you take me to Stiles'?" I asked Scott. He agreed and we got on his bike.

Stiles' Jeep was parked in the driveway, it was still warm when I walked past it so he must have just gotten home.

"Hey Stiles." I called as I entered the house. I heard him shuffling around up in his room.

I bounded up the stairs and entered his room. "Hey, what happened at Derek's?"

He turned to face me, tears streaked down his cheeks, his chest was shaking with sobs. "Boyd's dead." He said in a broken whisper.

I sat down heavily on his bed. "He- what." Was all I could think to say. Tears welled up in my eyes now. "How?"

Stiles sat next to me, taking my hand in his. "Kali forced Derek to kill him." Stiles wiped harshly at his face. "What about Deaton? Is he okay?" 

I nodded. "Yeah, your dad showed up to help." I took a deep breath to steady myself. "Come on, we had a fucked up night, we should sleep."

We didn't even bother with changing clothes, just shed our outer layers and slipped under the covers in our underwear. I tangled my legs with Stiles, needed to feel his body heat against me. By the way he was clutching me to his chest, I could tell he needed it too. We lay in the dark, crying together, both needed support and offering support in the same moment.


	8. Chapter 8

Two days later, Stiles and I found ourselves in Derek's loft, Derek nowhere to be found, Cora had answered the door, looking mildly annoyed like all Hales seemed to be at all times.

"Where's Derek?" I asked, I wanted to make sure he was okay after being forced to kill Boyd.

"Dunno." Cora replied. "He could be anywhere."

"Does he disappear often?" Stiles asked.

She spun to face us. "Look, I haven't seen Derek in 6 years, how would I know where he goes to brood."

"Well," I asked "Where did he used to go?"

She considered this for a second. "I remember him telling me once that he and Peter had to hide from hunters in a root cellar."

"Was it the Argents?" Stiles asked.

Cora rolled her eyes, and I could really see the resemblance to Derek in that motion. "Are there any other hunter families around."

"Fair point." I said.

We had migrated over to the table next to the wall of windows at the far end of the loft. I sat on one of the chairs. "So why did they have to hide?" I asked.

"The hunters were chasing a beta from another pack, and Derek got caught in the cross fire, luckily Peter was nearby to drag him into the cellar. They were there for two days, waiting, hiding. That's what we're taught to do when the hunters find us... hide and heal." She said, looking out the window, it had started to rain, slowly washing away Deucalion's pack symbol they had painting on Derek's windows as a warning.

"Okay, so is two days standard, then, or are we thinking Derek's on, like, some extended getaway?" Stiles asked.

"Why do you care?" Cora asked.

Stiles started pacing. "Why do I care? Let's see... because over the last few weeks, my girlfriend and best friend's tried to kill themselves, their boss nearly got ritually sacrificed. A girl that I've known since I was three was ritually sacrificed. Boyd was killed by alphas. I... do you want me to keep going? 'Cause I can, all right? For, like, an hour." I reached out for one of his hands, nervously moving in the air to emphasis his points.

"You think Derek can do anything about that?" She replied.

"Well, since he's the one everyone seems to be after, it's more like he should do something about it, yeah." Stiles said, I had told him about Scott being a true alpha and how Deucalion might actually be after Scott, but we decided to keep that information from Cora.

"I don't know. There's something different about him now. He wasn't like this when we knew him." 

"What was he like?" I asked.

Peter took that moment to appear on the spiral staircase. "A lot like Scott, actually. A lot like most teenagers... unbearably romantic, profoundly narcissistic, tolerable really only to other teenagers."

"And so what happened? What changed him?" Stiles asked.

"Well, the same thing that changes a lot of young men... A girl." Peter said, casting his eyes at me as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

I glared at him as Stiles said. "You're telling me some girl broke his little heart? That's why Derek is the way he is?"

Peter turned to Cora. "Do you remember Derek before he was an Alpha, he had blue eyes?" Do you know why some wolves have blue eyes?" Peter asked Stiles and I.

"I just always thought it was, like, a genetic thing." Stiles said.

"If you want to know what changed Derek, you need to know what changed the color of his eyes." 

"Great, story time with zombie wolf." I muttered. We all sat around the table.

Peter ignored me and started talking. "Derek was a sophomore, so was she. Her name was Paige, she played cello. Derek met her after she sassed him about needing to practice and he sassed back that he needed to practice his basketball. He humiliated her a little bit in front of his friends and then felt bad after. So he followed her into the music room to apologize. After that, they were inseparable."

"Okay, so if Derek was a sophomore back then, how old was he? How old were you? How old are you now?" Stiles said, narrowing his eyes at Peter.

"Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think." He replied.

"Okay, that was frustratingly vague." Stiles said. He turned to Cora. "How old are you?"

"I'm 17."

"See, that's an answer. That's how we answer people."

"Well, 17 how you'd measure in years." She said.

"All right, I'm just gonna drop it." Stiles said with a sigh.

"What happened to Derek and the cello girl?" I asked.

"What do you think happened? They were teenagers. One minute, it's, "I hate you, don't talk to me." The next, it's frantic groping in any dark corner they could manage to find themselves alone for five minutes." He said and I couldn't help but glance at Stiles. We could definitely relate to that part. "Their favorite dark corner was an abandoned distillery outside of Beacon Hills."

"All right, hold up. How do you know all this? You just said that they were alone." Stiles pointed out.

"Back then, I wasn't just Derek's Uncle. I was his best friend, his closest confidante. That's how I know. " Peter replied. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yeah, like I believed that one bit.

He continued on how Derek had heard the other packs approaching and dragged Paige out of the distillery. I imagined Paige had picked up quickly on Derek overhearing things and smelling things a regular human wouldn't have been able to. 

I remembered my own struggles growing up, having to hide all that from Mom, Scott and even Stiles. They probably just thought I had really good hearing and a strong sense of smell.

"Ennis, Kali, and Deucalion were all there with their packs. The beta killed by the Argents was apart of Ennis' pack, Ennis had used his claws to carve a spiral into the distillery wall, vowing to take down the Argents for killing his beta."

"What does the spiral mean?" I asked, crossing my legs under me on the chair.

"Our mark for vendetta." Peter replied, as he drew a spiral in the condensation on the window.

"Man, you guys really take that revenge thing to, like, a whole new level, don't you?" Stiles said.

"It's not just revenge. Losing a member of your pack isn't like losing family. It's like you lose a limb."

"They wouldn't even let him see the body." Peter said.

"I don't get it. What does this have to do with Derek?" Cora asked.

"Everything. It's never just a single moment. It's a confluence of events. Personally, I looked at Ennis' circumstances, I saw a profound loss. Derek saw something different. He saw opportunity."

"Opportunity? To do what?" I asked.

"To always be with her." Peter replied. My stomach dropped as I imagined what probably happened next. Lots of alphas in Beacon Hills, get one to bite Paige, and bam, werewolf couple complete.

"He'd hear her playing cello while he sat in class, and all he'd be able to think about is the moment he could see her again, hold her in his arms." Peter said.

"The thing was, he had this constant fear. He was obsessing over it, thinking about it all night, all day, always on his mind. Turning her. I kept telling him not to do it. Every day the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. You know teenagers. I bet he even blames me. He's probably convinced himself the whole thing was my idea." I rolled my eyes, knowing Peter and his history of being manipulative, it probably was his idea. 

"Have you heard about pack emissaries?" Peter asked and Stiles and I shook our heads.

"They keep us connected to humanity. But they're a secret even in the pack. Sometimes only the Alpha knows who the emissary is. Derek and I had no idea about Deaton." Cora explained.

"Why am I not surprised Deaton was an emissary." I muttered.

"Or his sister, Morrell." Peter said.

"She's an emissary too?" Stiles asked.

"For the Alpha pack."

"Our guidance counselor? Why the hell don't you people tell me any of this stuff, huh? I shared some really intimate details with her" Stiles said and I gave his arm a reassuring rub.

"And did she give you good advice?" Cora asked.

"Actually, yeah."

"That's what they do. That's what Deaton used to do for Talia." Peter said.

"So what happened with Derek and Paige?" I asked, wanting to hear how it ended.

"Derek had a plan, get Paige to the school and get one of the alphas to bite her." Peter said. 

"So which alpha did it?" I asked.

"Ennis." 

"Ennis? Why would he choose him?" Cora asked.

"Why not? Ennis needed a new member for his pack. Paige was young and strong. Doing a favor for Derek meant Ennis would be in good with Talia. Back then, everybody wanted to be in good with her." Peter said. I remembered my flashback to my parents' death, they had mentioned being on the way to see Talia.

"He doesn't remember it was Ennis, does he?" Stiles asked.

"If he does, he keeps it to himself."

"So then what happened? Did he turn her?" I asked.

"Almost. He came at Ennis. A 15 year-old boy against a giant. There was no reason for him to fight. She'd already been bitten."

"So did she turn?" Cora asked.

"She should have. Most of the time, the bite takes. Most of the time." Peter said.

"When you offered it to me, you said, "if it doesn't kill you." Stiles said. 

"If." Peter said, vague as always. "I found them in that same root cellar, her clutched tightly in his arms, bleeding and coughing. He asked me what was happening to her. He knew the answer, though. It didn't matter that she was young and strong. Some people just aren't made for this. But she fought. She struggled desperately, trying to survive."

I had an image of Stiles, a deep bite in his side, bleeding out in my arms. I shivered and squeezed his hand tighter. I could tell by the look on his face that he knew what I was thinking.

"Eventually the pain became too much for her, she begged Derek to end it. I remember taking her body from his arms, to the woods, to a place where I knew that it would be found... another in a long line of Beacon Hills animal attacks." Peter said softly, sitting on the steps at the loft's entrance.

"And what about Derek?" Cora asked, tears in her eyes.

"Taking an innocent life takes... Something from you as well, a bit of your soul... darkening it, dimming the once brilliant, golden yellow to a cold, steel blue... like mine." Peter looked up, his eyes glowing a deep blue.

He stood up then, "That's enough traumatizing storytelling for one night." He gathered up his jacket and left.

Stiles, Cora and I sat on the steps where Peter just was, absorbing all the information we were just told in silence.

I looked over and Stiles and saw a small furrow between his eyebrows and I knew he was thinking hard about something.

"What? What's this... what's this look on your face?" Cora asked, also noticing the look.

"What look?" Stiles asked, eyes flicking between the two of us.

"The kind of look that makes me want to punch you."

"Oh, my God. You are so Derek's sister. I forgot." Stiles said.

"Well, what is with the look?" 

"I just don't believe him." He said. "All right, in Ms. Blake's class, we're reading Heart of Darkness, and it's in first person, right? Narrated by Marlow. The thing is that he's... he's an unreliable narrator. You know the details of it have changed, you know, just because of his perspective."

"Well, then we heard the story from Peter's perspective." I said.

"Right, and I don't think we got the whole story." Stiles replied.

"So, what, are... Are you just gonna ask Derek about the girl he fell in love with and then killed?" 

"If I have to... Yeah." Stiles said.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from Scott saying him and Allison finished visiting with Gerard and might know a way to defeat Deucalion.

"Come on, we should go." I said. Stiles and I said bye to Cora and made our way to the Jeep.

Stiles turned the Jeep on and drove to his house, Scott was meeting us there.

Scott was waiting in Stiles' room when we got there, clothes damp from the storm outside.

"So, what did you learn?" I asked.

"Gerard and Deucalion fought, and he's the reason Deucalion is blind. He said Deucalion set up an ambush and he was just defending himself, but I'm pretty sure he was lying."

Scott said and I nodded. Sounds about right for a guy as evil as Gerard.

"So, you found out Deucalion's weakness?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah, he isn't always blind, he can see as a wolf. Allison and I have an idea to take care of that?"

We were so deep in conversation that we didn't notice John getting home until he appeared in Stiles' doorway.

"What are you kids plotting in here?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Plotting, uh, nothing." Stiles stammered, spinning to face his dad so fast that he nearly tripped over his own feet.

He looked confused, and like he wanted to ask but with Stiles, knew it was better not too.

"Oh, Hi Scott, are you staying the night too?" He asked.

"Uh, no sir, I just came by to finish homework." Scott said.

"Oh look, we're all done." I said quickly, trying to hide the lack of papers and textbooks.

Scott nodded. "Right, well, bye." He retreated quickly.

"Don't stay up too late." John said as he left, closing the door behind him.

Stiles and I changed for bed and climbed under the covers. 

As I lay there, listening to the rain pattering against the window, and hearing the soft noises as John watched TV downstairs, I couldn't help but think about Derek and Paige.

About how they fell in love, and how Derek lost her to a one in a million chance of the bite not taking.

"Juliet," Stiles muttered from behind me, his arm flung over my waist. "Stop overthinking, that's my thing."

I flopped onto my back in a huff. "Sorry, I just... Have you ever reconsidered getting the bite?" 

He opened his eyes, brow furrowed and I continued. "It's not that I don't think you're strong enough to handle it or anything, but it seems like a completely random chance if it kills the person or not." I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

"Juliet, we don't ever have to find out, okay?" He gently brushed the tears off my cheeks. He leaned in to kiss my forehead. "Trust me, I get jealous watching you guys never get sick and heal almost instantly. And yeah, I feel left out when you all go rushing head first into dangerous situations, but I rather not take that chance. I can't risk leaving my dad all alone."

"You mean so much to so many people." I whispered, staring into his golden brown eyes. "To me." I ran my hand over his cheek, down the side of his neck. He was trembling. "I love you."

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss against my lips. "I love you too." He replied, lips brushing mine as he talked. 

I drew in a deep breath, his gentle touches always helped calm me down. I lay back on my side, his chest pressed up against my back, and the two of us drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Somewhere around 2 am, Stiles' phone rang loudly, pulling me from a deep sleep. I felt around on the side table for it. "What." I snapped, a little more rude than necessary, but I really hated being woken up.

"Juliet, can you guys come to the school, something bad happened." Lydia said, her voice shaky with tears. 

I ran a hand over my face and sat up, Stiles shifted and pulled my pillow tight to his chest, mumbling as he squeezed it tight. "Yeah, we'll be there in a few minutes."

I sighed and put the phone down. I shook Stiles lightly, he groaned and tried to shrug my hand away. "Stiles, wake up." I said, shaking harder. He buried his face deeper into the pillow.

I knew the best way to wake him up. I pulled the pillow from his grip, pushed him onto his back and kissed him. He groaned again, lips moving under mine. "Good," I said, pulling back slightly breathless. "You're awake." 

He arched up, trying to reconnect our lips. I allowed him a quick peck before springing out of bed. "Lydia's at the school, she needs our help."

That got his attention, he quickly dressed and we found ourselves cruising to the school in minutes.

We arrived at the same time as Scott and Allison.

"Where is she?" Stiles asked Allison as we got out of the Jeep. 

"Over here." She replied.

"Lydia?" I asked as Allison and Lydia appeared around the corner.

"It's the same thing. Same thing as the pool. I got into the car heading somewhere totally different, and ended up here. And you told me to call you if there's a dead body." She explained.

"You found a dead body?" Stiles asked, sounding too excited.

"Not yet."

""Not yet"? What do you mean "not yet"? Lydia, you're supposed to call us after you find the dead body." 

"Oh, no, I'm not doing that again. You find the dead body from now on."

"How are we supposed to find the dead body? You're always the one finding the dead body." They kept bickering in the background. Scott and I inhaled at the same time. Blood.

I turned and gasped when I saw where it was coming from. "Guys. We found the dead body." Scott said. 

Laying face down on the Beacon Hills High School sign was the Sheriff's best deputy, Tara, blood painting the sign dark red.

Behind us, I could hear Allison dialing 911. Soon, the parking lot was filled with flashing lights as police cars and an ambulance showed up. 

The Sheriff ran a hand over his face as he took in the sight of his deputy's body. "You kids, go home." He instructed, voice weary.

I drove us back home, as Stiles stared blankly out the window. When we crawled back into bed, neither of us slept, we just lay side by side in silence until the sun started shining.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Before class started the next day, I found Stiles peering around a pillar, trying to listen in on his dad's conversation with the principle. 

"Hey," I said. Stiles pulled me so I was between him and the pillar. 

"What are they talking about?" He asked me, his breath warm against the side of my neck.

But before I could listen in, his dad's eyes met ours. He started to storm over, Stiles pulled me down the hall and tried to use his backpack to hide his face.

"Hey, hey, hey. Back it up. I know what you're thinking." The Sheriff said as Stiles lowered his bag and turned to face his dad. "I know you've got all these ideas about patterns and people dying in threes..."

"Dad, murdered, okay? Sacrificed, actually." Stiles said.

"I've got half the state, including the FBI, coming in on this. They're not getting away with killing one of our own."

"Dad, they killed Tara. You know, how many times did she help me with my math homework when I had to wait at the station for you?"

"Just, uh, get to class, okay?" John said softly and Stiles and I nodded.

We made our way to English. Lydia smiled at me as I sat down next to her. 

"Idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes, all tools the writer uses to tell their story." Ms. Blake said as she walked around the room. "Lydia, I wasn't aware you had so many hidden talents." I looked over, and saw Lydia drawing a picture of a tree. She really seemed to like trees.

"You and every guy I've ever dated." Lydia replied with a smile.

"Oh, um, well, that was an idiom, by the way. Idioms are something of a secret to the people who know the language or the culture. They're phrases that only make sense if you know key words. Saying "jump the gun" is meaningful only if you know about the starting gun in a race, or a phrase like "seeing the whole board."" Ms. Blake continued, coming to stand in front of Scott and Stiles desk.

"Like chess." Stiles muttered.

"That's right, Stiles. Do you play?" She asked.

"Uh, no. My father does."

Ms. Blake smiled at Stiles and then kept walking. "Now, when does an idiom become a cliche?"

Scott leaned in close to Stiles. "I think I can get to Ethan. I'm pretty sure I can make him talk."

"What do you want to do that for?" I asked, leaning in to them.

"The druids are emissaries, right? So what if the Darach was an emissary to the alphas?" Scott said.

"Okay, first of all, I cannot believe that we've gotten to the point where a sentence like "what if the Darach was an emissary to the alphas?" Actually makes sense to me. Second of all, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan." Stiles whispered.

"What's that?" Scott said.

"Going through Aiden." Stiles said."Ever since he's been back at school, they're always together. How are we gonna separate them again?" We all seemed to have the same thought at the same time. We turned to face Lydia. 

She noticed us looking and put her pencil down. "What now?" She asked. We came up with a quick plan to have Lydia have Aiden meet up with her in their usual spot in Coach's office while we spoke to Ethan.

We found Ethan in the hallway, I used my nicest voice to ask him to talk with us in the stairwell. He looked suspicious but agreed.

"Why are you even talking to me? I helped kill your friend. How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?" Ethan said, his eyes strayed over to Stiles.

"Is he looking at me? Are you threatening me?" Stiles said, pushing himself off the wall. "You know what I'm gonna do? I'm going to break off an extra large branch of mountain ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe, and shove it up your freaking..." 

I put a hand on Stiles' chest and gently pushed him away from Ethan. "Whoa, Stiles, okay. We get it." I said. Stiles settled back against the wall, still glaring daggers at Ethan.

"We're talking to you because I know that you didn't want to kill Boyd. And I think that if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again." Scott said.

"You don't know what we owe them, especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't alphas." Ethan said.

"What were you?" I asked.

Ethan met my eyes, "Omegas. In actual wolf packs, omegas are the scapegoat, the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack."

"So you and your brother were, like, the bitches of the pack?" Stiles said and I rolled my eyes. Only Stiles would call an alpha a bitch to their face.

"Something like that." 

"What happened?" I asked.

"They were killers. I mean, people talk about us as monsters. Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation. And our Alpha was the worst of them." Ethan explained.

"Why didn't you guys just fight back? Form Voltron wolf, you know? Kick everyone's asses?" Stiles said.

"We couldn't, we didn't know how to control it back then."

"Deucalion taught you." Scott said, which explained why Ethan and Aiden were so loyal to Deucalion.

Ethan nodded. "And then, we fought. We took down the whole pack, one-by-one. And by the time we got to our alpha, he was begging for his life. And we tore him apart. Literally."

"What about your emissary?" Scott asked and Ethan just shook his head. "They're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?"

"All of them except for Deucalion's."

"You mean Morrell?" Stiles asked.

Ethan cried out in pain then, clutching his chest.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Scott asked.

"Not me. My brother." Ethan said. We took off towards Coach's office, knowing that's probably where they'd be.

We burst through the locker room door in time to see Cora collapse to the floor, Aiden holding a weight over his head like he was about to hit her with it again.

Ethan and Scott grabbed his arms, pulling until he dropped the weight.

I crouched down in front of Cora, she groaned. 

"You can't do this!" Ethan yelled.

"She came at me!" Aiden yelled back.

"It doesn't matter! Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her." Ethan took Aiden's arm and dragged him from the room.

I brushed Cora's hair aside, she had a nasty cut on her forehead where Aiden had hit her. "Hey, guys, I think she's pretty hurt." I said.

Cora pushed my hand away and stood up. She went to the mirror and wet a piece of paper towel, using it to wipe the blood away.

"You okay?" Stiles asked.

"She doesn't look okay." Lydia said.

Cora sighed and dropped the paper towel. "I'll heal." As she went to turn, she stumbled backwards, Scott, Stiles and I reached out to steady her.

"I said I'm fine." She snapped as she pulled away from us.

"Do you realize how suicidally crazy that was? What were you thinking going after them?" Stiles said.

"I did it for Boyd. None of you were doing anything." She replied in a sharp tone.

"We're trying." I said.

"And you're failing. You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around, thinking that you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies." She said.

"She's definitely a Hale." I muttered as Cora left the locker room.

"I'll make sure she gets home." Stiles said as we followed after her and out to his Jeep.

"Who do you think is the crankiest Hale?" Stiles asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Probably Derek." I replied with a grin.

Stiles scoffed. "Wrong, it's Peter."

"You'd be cranky too if you had to spend 6 years in a coma slowly healing with only your own thoughts to occupy yourself."

The car was silent for a minute before Cora asked. "So what exactly did Peter do?"

I looked at her over my shoulder. "Ah, it's a wonderful story, full of adventure and action."

"And by wonderful, you mean terrifying." Stiles said and Cora rolled her eyes again. "Hey, I seriously thought we were all going to die, like multiple times." 

"You're not a werewolf are you?" Cora asked and Stiles shook his head. "Well then you don't get what it's like. To feel so out of control, to have the full moon affect you so deeply."

Stiles was silent for a second. "I guess, but Juliet has never had any problems controlling herself on full moons."

Cora's eyes flicked to me. "Who taught you control?"

I shrugged. "No one, I kinda had to teach myself." 

"But your mom-" Cora started but I cut her off.

"She's not a werewolf." I replied.

"But Scott..."

"He was bitten by Peter. I'm adopted."

Cora pursed her lips before saying quietly. "Was it hunters?"

I laced my fingers together tightly. "Yeah" I replied in a quiet voice. "It was the Argents."

"The Argents!?" Cora yelled. "If it was the Argents, why are you friends with one?"

I fully turned in my seat then to face her. "It wasn't Allison! It was Gerard, her grandfather."

"Aren't you mad? Don't you want revenge?" Cora demanded.

"Hey, no. No revenge okay?" Stiles said, his eyes looked at me for a second before returning to the road. I cringed, remembering the last time I saw Gerard and how I almost killed him.

Allison called Stiles then. She explained the five-fold knot she found on her dad's desk and how he had labelled out the groups the Darach had been sacrificing. 

"Philosophers?" Stiles asked.

"And guardians, which after last night has to mean something like law enforcement, right? Stiles, you have to tell your dad. Tell him whatever you need but you have to get him to believe. Tell your dad. Warn him." She said.

"Okay, okay, okay, I know." He said and hung up.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked, taking his hand in mine.

"I'm gonna tell him the truth. And I'm gonna need your help." He said, glancing at me and then at Cora.

"Want me to just, I dunno, shift in front of him?" I asked, thinking of the best way to do it.

Stiles shook his head. "No, that might give him a heart attack."

That's how Cora and I found ourselves sitting on Stiles' bed as he paced back and forth, his dad standing near the window with his arms crossed.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay. Yes, okay. No, oh..." Stiles said, like he was about to say something but then stopped and kept pacing.

"Stiles?" The Sheriff said annoyed.

"Dad, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just... I'm trying to... I'm just trying to figure out how to start here." He said.

The Sheriff looked at me. "Is Juliet pregnant?"

I shot to my feet. "No, definitely not." John nodded, like that was the one thing he didn't wanna hear today.

"Hey, I don't have this kind of time." He said.

"Um, for the last year, you've had all these cases that you couldn't figure out, right? I mean, all the murders involving Kate Argent, and then Matt killing all the people who had drowned him, and all these murders right now. It's like... it's like you've been playing a losing game." Stiles said.

"Stiles, the last thing I need right now is a job performance review from my own son."

"I know. Okay, see, but that's... that's just it, dad. The... the reason that you're losing the game is 'cause you've never been able to see the whole board." Stiles said, going over to his bookshelves and pulling a folded up chess board off it. "I need to show you the whole board."

He started pulling out coloured sticky tabs, labeling them and sticking them to the different pieces on the board. Cora met my gaze with a raised eyebrow and I shrugged. If

Stiles thought this was the best way to tell his dad everything then I wasn't gonna stop him.

"Scott, Juliet and Derek are werewolves?" The Sheriff said when Stiles was done.

"Yes." Stiles said.

"And Kate Argent was a werewolf?"

"Hunter. That's... purple's hunter." He said, sad that his dad didn't get his coloured coded system.

"Along with Allison and her father." I said and Stiles nodded.

"Yeah, and... and my friend Deaton, the veterinarian, is a Kanima?" John said.

"Well, no, no, no, no, no. He's a druid, okay? Well, we think." 

"So who's the Kanima?" John asked.

"Jackson." I said.

"No, Jackson's a werewolf."

"Jackson was the Kanima first, and then Peter and Derek killed him and he came back to life as a werewolf. Now, he's in London." Stiles said and I sighed, it was kind of far fetched sounding.

"Who's the Darack?" The Sheriff asked, pronouncing it wrong.

"It's da-rock." Stiles corrected.

"We don't know yet." Cora said.

"We don't know yet." Stiles repeated.

"But he was killed by werewolves?" John asked.

"Slashed up and left for dead." Stiles replied.

"We think." I said.

"We think."

"Yeah. Why was Jackson the Kanima?" The Sheriff asked, brows furrowed.

"'Cause sometimes, the shape that you take reflects the person that you are." Stiles explained.

"And what shape would an increasingly confused and angrier-by-the-second father take?" John said.

"Uh, that would be more of an expression like the one you're currently wearing."

"Yeah." John got up to leave but Stiles stopped him.

"Dad... Dad, would you... I can prove it, okay? Look, they're both one of them. Werewolves." He said, gesturing to me and Cora. The two of us stood up.

"Stiles, Stiles! That's enough." The Sheriff snapped.

"Dad, can you please just hold on?" Stiles turned to us. "You ready? All right, Dad, just watch this, okay?"

I took a deep breath, I wanted to shift slowly, worried that I actually would give the Sheriff a heart attack if the fangs and claws appeared too fast.

But as I was about to do it, Cora collapsed to the ground. The Sheriff rushed over to kneel down beside her, the wound on her head from her fight with Aiden had reopened and it was bleeding pretty badly. "Call an ambulance." John instructed to Stiles.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Stiles and I ended up following the Sheriff and the ambulance to the hospital.

Scott called us as we made our way inside. "Guys, Allison and Isaac figured out the next pattern. "It's philosophers as in teachers. Allison and her father just found Mr. Westover."

"That makes sense. Tara, she wasn't always a cop. She used to teach middle school." Stiles said.

"Then the last one's gonna be another teacher."

"Yeah, but there's dozens of them, Scott, and they're all headed home."

"No. No, they're not. They're all going to the recital." Scott said and hung up.

Shit, we forgot about the recital Ms. Blake set up to honour the students and teachers from Beacon Hills that were killed.

"Come on, we should go." I said, making my way to the door.

"Wait, I wanna try talking to my dad again." Stiles said.

"Stiles, maybe you should wait, don't push him anymore." I said, following him down the hall.

"No, he has to believe us." 

"I can't exactly show him right here." I looked around, the halls were packed today.

He caught sight of his dad and jogged over to him.

"Dad." 

The Sheriff sighed. "What now, Stiles."

"What did you see the night at the bank when Scott and Juliet were trying to save Deaton?" Stiles asked as his dad walked away from him.

"Nothing."

"Dad, you saw Scott healing himself after he tried crossing the mountain ash."

The Sheriff spun to face us. "I don't know what I saw."

"You saw something that you can't explain."

"Stiles, I have seen a lot of things I can't explain in this town. That doesn't make 'em supernatural and it doesn't make 'em real. They just found another body. That's real. And that's the lead I'm following."

"Yeah, and another teacher's going to die if you don't start listening to me."

"I am listening! I have been listening!" The Sheriff shouted, attracting the attention of the people us.

"You just don't believe." Stiles said as his dad turned to leave and then in a softer voice. "Mom would've believed me."

The Sheriff sighed as Stiles and I left to go out to his Jeep.

When we arrived at school, the recital had already started. We slipped between a few people and found Scott. 

He smiled at us, but then frowned and looked around. 

"What?" I asked.

"Lydia." He said. "She said she couldn't leave and had a feeling someone would die." He explained.

We flung the auditorium doors open. "Lydia!" Scott and I yelled, looking side to side.

Stiles had his phone out. "Anything? She's not answering texts." We shook our heads. "What do we do?"

"Follow her scent." I said, Lydia always wore expensive rose scented perfume. I inhaled deeply and was about to follow the scent when one of Lydia's scream pierced the air. I put my hands over my ears, teeth gritted with pain.

"Guys?" Stiles asked, his arms wrapped around me, pressing me to his chest. The scream ended and I sighed with relief. 

"She's this way." I said. Scott and I broke into a run and ended up outside the English class.

Lydia was duct taped to a chair, Ms. Blake was standing in front of her, holding a garrote.

Scott and I had shifted while we ran, and let out twin roars as Ms. Blake smiled menacingly.

I heard a gasp, and looked over to see the Sheriff, on his knees with a knife sticking out of his chest.

Shit, guess he believes Stiles now.

Scott lunged on top of a desk, and swiped at Ms. Blake, but she dodged it and threw her hand out at him, knocking Scott back into the stacked chairs at the back of the room, he landed hard and blood poured out of his mouth.

I approached from the other side, spinning to kick at her head. She avoided my foot and grabbed me around the throat. I gasped for air as her hand tightened. "Juliet, if you're not careful your little romance with Stilinski could end up like Romeo and Juliet."

I clawed at her hand, trying to get any air into my lungs that I could. "Doubt it," I managed to choke out. "Stiles is too stubborn to die." 

She snarled and threw me aside, my head bounced painfully off the floor.

Through the haze, I noticed Stiles out in the hallway, Ms. Blake noticed him too, she slid the desk like it weighed nothing, in front of the door, slamming it shut on him. 

Despite the knife sticking out of his chest, the Sheriff managed to reach for his gun and point it at Ms. Blake. "There was a girl. Years ago, we found her in the woods, her face and body slashed apart. That was you, wasn't it?" He snarled out, gun steady.

"Maybe I should've started with philosophers, with knowledge and strategy." She said. 

The Sheriff aimed his gun down and shot at her leg. She gasped, and right before our eyes, the bullet wound sealed itself up. 

"Healers..." She said, using the knife in the Sheriff's chest to lift him to his feet. The gun fell from his hand as he cried out in pain. Ms. Blake slammed him back into the chairs, close to where Scott was still laying. "Warriors... Guardians..." She ripped the Sheriff badge off his shirt and crushed it in her hand. It fell to the ground with a metallic clang. "Virgins." On the final word, kissed the Sheriff on the mouth. He cringed and pulled his mouth away. When he did that, her face changed, no longer the pretty English teacher. But instead a scarred, mutilated face that I had seen in the flames the night at the motel.

I struggled to my feet. There was the sound of breaking glass. When I stood up, Stiles had wedged his way past the desk and was staring out the now broken window. Ms. Blake had kidnapped the Sheriff.

"Dad?" Stiles said, his voice breaking on the word. His chest was heaving as he tried to fight back tears.

Scott went to free Lydia from where Ms. Blake had tied her up. I squeezed Stiles' hand. "We'll find him. I promise."

Stiles' eyes were shiny with tears as he looked at me. He inhaled shakily and gave me a small nod. 

We helped Lydia back to her car. An ambulance had showed up at the school. I located Allison. "What happened?"

"The last philosopher, she was killed with a snapped off piano string."

"Oh god," I said. "Ms. Blake is the Darach and tried to kill Lydia and kidnapped the Sheriff, can you make sure she gets home?" I said.

Allison nodded and Stiles and I hopped into the Jeep. Scott stood at the passenger window. "We should go warn Derek, I'm pretty sure him and Ms. Blake are sleeping together."

I said. Scott nodded and got on his bike.

"How do you know they're sleeping together?" Stiles asked.

"I can smell him on her." I said, crossing my arms. "Now, drive faster."


	10. Chapter 10

It had started pouring down rain as we drove to Derek's loft, the wind so strong it rattled the Jeep.

We ran into Derek's loft. He stood up from the couch and took in our frantic expressions.

"What happened?" He asked, eyes flittering between the three of us.

"Ms. Blake, she's the Darach, she just kidnapped Stiles' dad." I said.

Derek's eyebrows rose. "Really, your English teacher is a dark druid?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe us." Scott said.

Derek was silent for a moment, he seemed to be listening to our heartbeats, seeing if we were lying. He must have noticed Stiles' barely contained tears. "Okay, I believe you."

There was a sound out in the hallway, the sound of heels clicking across the floor. "I think that's her." I said.

"Wait in the other room, I want to see what she tells me." Derek said, gesturing to doorway.

We quickly made our way behind the wall, listening as the door to the loft slammed open.

"Derek? Derek, where are you?" We heard Ms. Blake say.

"Right here." Derek replied.

More heel clacking as she rushed over to Derek. "Thank God. Something happened at the recital. At the school. Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them." She said in a rush.

"From who?" Derek asked softly.

"Scott, Stiles, Juliet. They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me."

"What is it?"

"Promise you'll listen to me."

"I promise."

There was a moment of silence. "They're already here, aren't they?" Ms. Blake said. The three of us stepped back into the main room. "So... they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?" She said, still pleading innocent to Derek.

I glared at her. "We told him you're the one killing people."

"Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense." She said with a laugh and I wanted to punch her.

"Where's my dad?" Stiles asked, tears welling up in his eyes again. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead.

Ms. Blake's eyes went wide with false innocence. "How should I know? Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

Derek's eyes flicked to Stiles and then back to Ms. Blake. "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?" He asked quietly.

"No." Lightning lit up the loft.

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia." Scott said.

"Lydia Martin? I don't know anything about that." She insisted.

"What do you know?" Derek asked.

"I know that these kids, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. And one they can't prove, by the way."

"What if we can?" I said. Scott pulled the vial out from his pocket, he had gotten it from Deaton a few days ago in case we ran into this exact situation.

"What is that?" Ms. Blake looked worried now.

"My boss told me it's a poison and a cure... which means you can use it... and it can be used against you." Scott said, unscrewing the lid.

"Mistletoe?" She asked, a look of fear in her eyes.

Scott threw the contents of the container at her, a cloud of ash surrounded her. Her face shifted rapidly between the pale scarred face of the Darach and the regular pretty face we had come to associate with our English teacher. She gasped, the ash settled to the ground and her face remained on the unscarred one.

Derek looked shocked, at both the appearance of the Darach face and the fact that the lady he was sleeping with actually was the Darach.

She tried to run, Derek's arm shot out and caught her around the throat, pulling her back. His claws slid out on his other hand. "Derek, wait, wait! You need me." She pleaded, trying to push his hand away.

"What are you?" Derek growled.

"The only person who can save your sister. Call Peter." She choked out. "Call him!"

Derek called Peter, hand still wrapped around Ms . Blake's neck. He asked how Cora was.

"It's not good." We heard Peter answer. "She's in and out of consciousness. She's vomiting up black blood along with one other alarming substance." 

"Mistletoe." Derek answered for him.

"How did you know that?" Peter asked. Derek slowly lowered the phone, glaring at Ms. Blake. Derek squeezed harder and she gasped for air.

"Derek. Derek, what are you doing?" Scott demanded.

"Her life... it's in my hands!" Ms. Blake managed to say. Derek lifted her higher, her feet dangling in the air.

"Stop. Derek, stop!" Stiles said.

"Stilinski, you'll never find him." She tried again.

"Derek!" I yelled.

Derek let her go and Ms. Blake crumbled to the ground. She looked up at Derek with an evil smile. "That's right. You need me." She looked at the three of us. "All of you."

Derek grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet. "We're going to the hospital." He stated and stormed out of the loft. He and Ms. Blake got in his car and they sped away. We followed close behind them in the Jeep.

"I don't know, something feels wrong about this." Stiles said as he drove, looking over at me. "You know, we proved it to Derek, but she still had this look like it didn't matter. You know, like it was all still going according to plan. You saw it, didn't you?" He glanced back at Scott now.

We arrived at the hospital, getting soaked by the storm the second we stepped out into it.

Stiles grabbed something out of the back of the Jeep and slammed the door shut. 

"What's that?" Scott asked over the rain. 

"Well, you guys have claws." He said, I looked closer at it. It was Mom's baseball bat. "I got a bat." 

The lobby was frantic with people running around as we went inside.

"Juliet! Scott! What are you doing here? The hospital's evacuating." Mom said when she caught sight of us.

"We're here for Cora." Scott said.

She saw Derek gripping Ms. Blake's arm tightly. "What, all of you? Why does Stiles have my bat?"

"Mom, just trust me on this." I said. "You need to get out of here. Right now."

"The building is supposed to be clear in 30 minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's 10 minutes out, the other's 20. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage." Mom instructed.

"Got it." Scott said and we rushed off towards Cora's room.

"You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek. I'm going to help." Ms. Blake said as we all got in the elevator. The mood was tense as we went up one floor. Stiles glared at the back of Ms. Blake's head the whole time.

We stepped out of the elevator, the lights flickering as we went to Cora's room, the door was wide open and she was nowhere to be found. A puddle of black blood and white mistletoe berries lay next to the bed. A trail of blood led down the hall, behind a set of closed doors.

There was a loud grunt from the other side of the doors, they flew open, and Peter slid across the floor on his back, stopping at Derek's feet.

"We got a problem. Big problem." Peter said. We looked up and in the open doorway was the alpha twins, formed together to make their giant alpha. They roared as the lights continued to flash overhead.

Derek shifted and threw himself at the twins. Derek grabbed them by the waist, pushing them back, they slammed an elbow down on his back. Derek pushed back, punching them in the stomach. One of their massive hands came up to grab Derek's head and slammed their arm into his face a few times.

Scott roared and ran at them. They threw Derek into the wall. Scott used his momentum to jump off the wall and tried to punch the twins, they dodged his punch and grabbed Scott by the throat, pushing him up against the wall.

I saw Cora laying on the ground behind them, Stiles must have noticed too and he gave me a small nod. I ran at the twins, swiping at their exposed back, they backhanded me without a glance and I hit a closed door, the handle breaking under me as I collapsed to the floor.

Stiles had helped Peter to his feet and the two of them had ran past us to Cora. 

"Ethan, Aiden, stop! You don't know what you're doing." Scott yelled as they lifted him higher.

"All we want is her." They growled out, voices overlapping into one voice.

I heard a noise, and looked over to see Ms. Blake disappearing behind the closing elevator doors. The twins dropped Scott and ran at the elevator to stop her. The rest of us scrambled to our feet, Peter slung Cora over his shoulder. 

"Don't stop, don't stop!" Derek instructed as we passed through an operating room.

Stiles stopped and looked at his bat, he went back to the entrance, bat raised.

"Stiles!" I hissed out.

The twins rounded the corner then, Stiles struck them across the head hard, but the bat exploded into splinters.

They turned and roared at Stiles, he slid along the wall to join the rest of us at the other door.

I pushed Stiles behind Derek and I. Scott jumped up, hand grabbing one of the light fixtures, and slammed it into the twins, the light sparked as it hit them. We took the chance to run. 

We found Peter gently laying Cora down on a bed in a large room. Derek and Scott slammed the doors closed behind us.

"Where's the big guy?" Peter asked.

"He's close." Derek replied.

"What about Ms. Blake?" Stiles asked, and when Scott and I shook our heads, he said. "What do you mean? What does that mean? Like, she's gone? Scott, Juliet, are you kidding me?"

"Shh, quiet." Derek said.

"Me be quiet? Me, huh?" Stiles said, getting up in Derek's face. "Are you telling me what to do now? When your psychotic, mass murdering girlfriend... the second one you've dated, by the way... has got my dad somewhere, tied up, waiting to be ritually sacrificed?"

"Stiles, they're still out there." I said.

"And... and they want her, right? Which means now we don't have her either, so my dad and Cora are both dead!" He yelled.

"Not yet." Scott said, he turned to Peter. "Is she really dying?"

"She's definitely not getting any better." He replied, brushing hair from Cora's forehead. Her breathing was shallow and her face was a ghastly white.

"There has to be something that we can do. We have to help her." I said,

The doors flew open. Ms. Blake stood there. "You can't. Only I can. I can save her, and I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is. But there is a pack of alphas in this hospital who want me dead. So I'll help you... but only when I'm out of here and safe. Only then." She said.

Derek flung a table aside and lunged for Ms. Blake. 

"Derek, wait!" Scott said, holding him back.

"She was trying to get out." He said, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"I was trying to keep from getting killed. You can't blame me for that." She replied.

"If you want to show you're one of the good guys, then heal her." Stiles said, pointing to Cora, still unconscious.

"Not until I'm safe." She argued back.

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion. Let's torture her." Peter said.

"Works for me." Derek said, batting Scott's arm aside.

The overhead PA system crackled on above us. "Um, can I have your attention?" Mom's voice said through the speaker. My heart jumped in my chest. "Mr. Deucalion... excuse me, just Deucalion... Requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the E.R. reception. Do this, and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes." The speaker went quiet.

"That bastard." I snarled out.

"He's not gonna hurt her." Ms. Blake, well I guess Jennifer, said.

"Shut up." Derek snapped at her.

"He won't! Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true." She said.

"What does she mean?" Derek asked but Scott didn't say anything.

Jennifer sighed and said "You're not the only one he wants in his pack."

"Deucalion doesn't just want an Alpha pack. He wants perfection. That means adding the rarest of alphas to his ranks." She explained.

"A true Alpha." Peter muttered.

"What's that?" Stiles asked, we hadn't had the time to sit and discuss things such as 'Oh yeah Scott is a totally rare type of alpha.'

"The kind that doesn't have to steal his power from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will. Our little Scott." Peter said.

"It doesn't matter. We still need to get her out of here." Scott said.

"Scott, what about Mom?" I asked, I hated the idea of Deucalion even being within spitting distance of Mom.

"Mom said there's one more ambulance coming in 20 minutes. And I don't think we've been here that long, so if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here." Scott said, but easier said than done.

"The twins aren't gonna let us just walk out." Peter said.

"I'll distract them." Scott said.

"You mean fight them." I said.

"Whatever I have to do."

"I'll help you." Derek said.

"Um, sorry, but I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek." Jennifer said.

"I'll do it." Peter said, and we all looked at him in shock, he never volunteers to put him in the line of fire. "But I'd prefer to be out there with an advantage."

"An advantage like what? You mean like a weapon?" Stiles asked.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Something better than a baseball bat."

We started rummaging around in the drawers, surely something in here could help Peter and Scott.

Stiles held up the paddles to a defibrillator. "Hey, wait. What about these?"

Derek cast a look over his shoulder. "Do you know how to use those?"

"Well, no."

"Put 'em down." Derek said gently.

Stiles put the paddles back. 

I pulled a giant needle out of a drawer and read the label. "Epinephrine?"

"That's only gonna make him stronger." Derek said.

Peter's head whipped around. "How strong?" Derek picked up Cora in his arms, the rest of us got ready to run when the doors open.

Scott stabbed the needle into Peter's chest. "All right, boys. Let's rumble." Peter yelled at the twins as the rest of us booked it down the hallway to the ambulance.

I ran ahead and felt a spark of relief go through me when I saw the red of the ambulance sitting in the parking lot. "It's still here!" I called as I flung the doors open. Derek and Stiles helped lift Cora up to me. I settled her on the gurney.

"Derek, over here." Jennifer's voice came from the side of the ambulance. Derek went around to her. I peered around the side of the doors and saw the driver's body, covered in slash marks, bleeding all over the pavement.

There was a jangle of keys and I quickly through myself back into the vehicle when I saw Kali and her creepy toe claws appear. I eased the doors closed, and locked them. Stiles and I sat in panicked silence as we heard Kali say "Julia. It is you." 

"You can't beat her on your own." Jennifer said to Derek.

"That's why we're gonna run." He replied. Kali roared as Derek and Jennifer ran past the back windows, and back into the hospital. Stiles and I ducked so Kali wouldn't see us as she ran after them.

The lights around us suddenly went out, plunging the parking garage into near total darkness. I sat, squeezing Stiles' hand, listening to Cora's laboured breathing. I focused my hearing outside, but didn't hear an alphas lurking around outside.

"Stiles." I finally whispered. "I'm gonna go find Mom, stay here." I went to stand up, but Stiles' grip on my hand tighten.

"Are you crazy?" He furiously whispered back. "What if you run across Kali, or the crazy twins."

I took his face in my hands. "Stiles, I have to take that chance." I pressed my lips to his.

He sighed. "Fine, but I still think leaving me here alone with Cora is a bad idea."

"Lock the door behind me." I said and pushed the doors open slowly, in case someone had managed to sneak up on us.

I shifted, letting my vision adjust to the dark. I went back into the hospital, keeping to the dark corners, I heard fighting above me, Scott and Peter must still be fighting the twins.

I heard footsteps up ahead, and stopped to listen to them. The steps sounded hurried and the person's heart was beating a mile a minute. I rounded the corner. "Mom!" I exclaimed in a quiet voice.

She jumped and almost shrieked but covered her mouth with her hand in time to stop it. I realized my face was still in scary wolf mode. I shifted back and hugged her. 

"Are you okay?" I asked as I pulled back.

"I'm terrified as hell but yes, physically I'm fine. Where's Scott." 

I shrugged. "Him and Peter were off fighting the alpha twins."

"We have to help them." She said.

I nodded and started off to where they had been fighting. 

"So, any tricks on stopping a crazy werewolf?" She asked.

I thought about it for a minute as we walked in the dark. "Well, the Argents have used electricity to stop werewolves from shifting."

"I have an idea." Mom said, pulling me into a supply room as she picked something up.

I realized it was a defibrillator, similar to the one Stiles suggested using.

We rushed down the dark hall, hearing the sounds of fighting as we got closer.

"Where is she? We're trying not to hurt you." I heard the twins snarl out in their conjoined form.

"Try harder." Scott gasped out, we rounded the corner to see them holding Scott against the wall by his throat.

"Hey! I'd like to try something." Mom yelled and pressed the paddles to the twins' chest.

They released Scott and flew back, separating back into two people, electricity coursing through them as they writhed on the ground.

"Sweetheart, get up! Come on." Mom said, dropping the paddles and helping Scott to his feet.

We made our way through the dark halls quietly. "What happened with Deucalion?" I asked.

"He just let me go, said it was a gesture of goodwill. No other reason." Mom said as we passed through a door.

"He had to have a reason. I don't think he does anything without a reason." Scott said and I nodded.

"Well, if that means I should continue to be profoundly terrified, then don't worry about it. I got that covered."

Scott and I stopped, I held out a hand to stop Mom. There were more footsteps coming up the other hall.

Scott crept ahead, I stayed in front of Mom, ready to lunge. Scott spun around the corner and stopped. I caught up and saw Chris, Allison and Isaac. Chris was lowered his gun he had pointed at Scott's face.

Scott told Chris how Derek and Jennifer were currently stuck in an elevator, halfway between floors. 

"So then they're essentially trapped?" He asked.

"Yeah, right. There's no way of getting them out without turning the power back on." Isaac said as we walked down the hall.

"But wait, wait, wait, if the power's back on, they're gonna hear the elevator moving, right?" Mom said, as we entered another room.

"And they'll be on Jennifer and Derek as soon as it stops. We can't get in a fight with them." Scott said.

"You've got us now." Chris said.

"It's too much to risk. They want her dead, and if she dies, there's nothing that we can do for Stiles' dad or Cora." 

"I don't even think I know which teacher this is."

"She's... she's the one with the brown hair. She's kind of hot." Isaac said, we all looked at him. "No, it's jus... just an observation." He clarified.

"I've got an idea." Allison said. Her plan was to lure Kali and the twins outside, thinking she was Jennifer at the same time Mom went to turn the power back on and pray to God that Derek and Jennifer could make it out to the ambulance in time.

We texted Derek, telling him to be ready to run.

Mom disappeared back up the roof. Chris and Isaac got in position outside for when Allison lured all the alphas outside. 

The power flickered back on, and I heard the elevator moving in the distance as Scott and I ran towards it. The doors slid open, and Derek was lying unconscious on the ground, Ms. Blake nowhere to be seen, the service hatch was hanging open.

Scott met my eyes and we had the same thought. 

Mom.

We left her all alone. We tore off to the roof. I caught sight of Stiles sprinting towards us as we rushed up the stairs. "Guys, wait!" He yelled, but the need to find Mom and keep her safe was overwhelming.

"Mom! Mom!" Scott and I cried out as the door to the roof banged open.

We looked around, the roof was empty.

"They're gone." A smooth British voice said, Deucalion appeared from around the corner. "Guardians, Scott. If you were with me, I could've told you what it meant. I could've warned you. Let me help you, Scott. Let's help each other." He seemed keen to just completely ignore me. "You help me catch her, and I'll help you get your mother and Stiles' father back."

Stiles appeared behind me. "Scott. Scott, don't do this. Don't go with him." Stiles pleaded as Scott took a step towards Deucalion. 

"I don't know what else to do." Scott said.

"No, there's g... Scott, there's got to be something else, okay?" I choked out, tears burning the back of my throat. "We always... we always have a plan B."

The look in Scott's eyes broke my heart. "Not this time."

"Scott." Stiles sounded as choked up as I did.

"I'm gonna find your dad. I promise." He said, and him and Deucalion disappeared into the fog that had settled on the rooftop.

"Scott!" I sobbed out, I tried moving to follow them but Stiles took hold of my arm and pulled me back to him.

"Let him go for now." Stiles said, burying his face in my hair.

I let out another sob, the force of it racking my body. I clung to Stiles' shirt, twisting the fabric in my hands. I finally pulled away. "We-" I sniffed back tears. "We should wake Derek up."


	11. Chapter 11

Derek was still passed out in the elevator. I tried shaking him awake, but he was out cold.

Stiles finally just decided to slap Derek across the face a bunch. When that still didn't work, he balled his hand into a fist and as he went to punch him, Derek's hand shot up, catching his wrist.

"Where is she?" He asked, looking around the elevator.

"Jennifer? Gone with Juliet's and Scott's mom." Stiles said.

"She took her?"

"Yeah, and if that's not enough of a kick to the balls, Scott left with Deucalion, okay? So we gotta get you out of here. The police are coming right now, and we gotta get you the hell out of here." Stiles said, and we reached out to help Derek to his feet.

"What about Cora?" Derek asked.

"She should be with Isaac and Peter outside." I said.

"We'll hold the police off for you." Stiles said and Derek nodded, he took off running down the hallway.

I ran my hands down Stiles' arms. "Ready to lie to some cops?"

Stiles sighed, "That's all we seem to do anymore."

We made our way back to the main lobby and sat in waiting room chairs, listening to the sirens approach.

The lobby was soon full of FBI agents, one particularly tall agent turned and I groaned when I saw who it was.

"Oh, just perfect." Stiles muttered as the agent noticed us.

He made his way over to us. It was Scott's dad, Rafael McCall. While he was Scott's dad, he wasn't my adoptive father. Mom and him had just split up before she adopted me. He was around for holidays and birthdays when Scott and I were kids. But he never bothered to make an effort getting to know me.

"A Stilinski at the center of this whole mess. What a shocker. Think you can answer some questions without the usual level of sarcasm?" Agent McCall asked when he approached Stiles and I.

"If you ask the questions without the usual level of stupid." Stiles replied.

"Where's your dad, and why's no one been able to contact him?" Rafael asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in hours."

"Is he drinking again?"

"What do you mean, again? He never had to stop." Stiles said. 

"But he did have to slow down. Is he drinking like he used to?"

"All right, how about this? Next time I see him, I'll give him a field sobriety test, okay? We'll do the alphabet, start with "F," end with "U."" Stiles snarked back and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"How about you just tell me what the hell happened here?" Rafael asked.

"I don't know what happened here. We were stuck in the elevators the whole time." Stiles said and I nodded.

"You're not the one who put the name on the doors, are you?"

Stiles and I met each other's gazes. "What name?" I asked.

"Someone wrote Argent in bright red paint on the elevator doors, any idea why?" He asked.

I shrugged. "A dumb prank?"

Agent McCall sighed. "Okay, you two kids, go home." 

We rushed outside to Stiles' Jeep, I texted Allison about the name on the door. She texted back asking us to meet her at her apartment.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"The word is guardian, Allison." Chris said as we followed him into his office. "More than anyone, you know that's a role i haven't exactly lived up to lately."

"But she took Juliet's and Scott's mother and Stiles' father. That's not a coincidence." Allison said.

"Yeah, I'd also consider the fact that someone put your name up in large block letters on the elevator doors. That kind of felt like a warning to me." Stiles said. 

"I think it might be Morrell. She knows a lot more than she lets on, and she might even be trying to help us." Allison said.

"Well, she needs to get on that a lot faster, okay? Seeing as how the lunar eclipse is less than two freaking nights away." Stiles said as he flung himself down into a chair.

"Stiles, don't give up hope." Chris said. But I knew how frustrated Stiles was feeling, not only was I just smelling it on him, but I felt a heavy ache in my chest, worried about where our parents could be.

"They could already be dead." Stiles muttered.

"I don't think so. There's something about Jennifer's tactics. It's like she's still positioning, still moving pieces into place." Chris said.

"And you're one of them." I said.

"Then let's not wait around to see the next move." Chris unrolled the map with the marked currents on it flat on his desk."Everything she's done has been on a telluric current, so Melissa and the sheriff have to be somewhere on one of those currents, right?" Chris said but Stiles didn't look convinced.

"Stiles, if we're gonna find them, we need your help." I said.

"You seriously want to go after her? I mean, what if she just takes you like the others, huh?" Stiles asked Chris. "No offense, but what's the difference between you and them?"

Chris pulled a big gun out of his desk. "I'm carrying a .45." He loaded the gun. "Maybe she can heal from a shot to the leg and a few slashes to the face, but personally, I'd like to see how she holds up with half her skull blown off." He put the gun down. "We've got one priority right now, and that is to find Melissa and your dad. We've got a map and every clue we need to figure this out. The only thing we don't have is time, which is why I need all of you." 

We all looked at Stiles expectantly.

Finally, he sighed and stood up. "Where do we start?"

Chris pulled out a UV light and brought it across the map, illuminating the spots he had marked on it. "The place where the sacrifices have been committed have usually been different from where the bodies have been found. I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current, so there's the school, the animal clinic, the bank."

"Wait a sec, she wouldn't use the same place twice, would she?" Stiles asked.

"Only if she didn't succeed the first time." Chris said and he pointed at the marked bank on the map.

"Our boss." I said softly.

Chris nodded. "Deaton. It was her only failure. That could mean something."

"That's just one place so far. We're gonna need a lot more help." Stiles said.

"What about Lydia?" I suggested.

"Lydia? What can she do?" Chris asked.

"Uh, Lydia's got sort of a talent. She somehow ended up finding a couple of the bodies, um, without actually looking for them." Stiles explained.

"What is she? Psychic?"

"She's something."

Chris and Allison set to work pulling large cases out of closets and out from under the desk. Chris opened one and held up a long gun. Allison was off to the side inspecting a row of sharp throwing knives.

"I thought you guys were retired." Stiles asked as Chris looked at another gun.

"Retired, yes. Defenseless, no." He replied, setting the gun down. "Make sure your phone's on. If you hear from Scott, you let us know immediately."

Stiles and I checked our phones, but Scott hadn't responded to any of the texts we had sent him. "Yeah, I'm thinking that's gonna be kind of unlikely." Stiles said.

"All of you, try to remember he's just doing what he thinks is right." Chris said.

"I can't shoot a gun or use a crossbow," A voice said from the doorway, we all spun and saw Isaac standing there. "but... Well, I'm... I'm getting pretty good with these." He flicked his claws out.

"We'll go see Lydia," I said. "While you guys check out the bank."

Chris nodded and Stiles and I went to his Jeep. "Can we stop by my house first?" I asked as we started driving. "I feel like I've been wearing these clothes for 3 days now."

Stiles nodded and turned onto the road leading to my house. 

The house was too quiet when I went inside, no sign that Scott had been home recently. I changed quickly in the bathroom and splashed water on my face. My eyes were still a bit red and I looked exhausted.

I sighed and left the bathroom. Stiles was sitting on my bed, wearing clothes I had taken from him. He was looking at his phone. "I texted Lydia, asking if we could come over before school." He said, looking up from his phone.

We made our way out to the Jeep. "Ugh, do we have to go to school today." I was not in the mood for sitting in a classroom all day.

We pulled into Lydia's driveway and went up to her room. We quickly told her about what happened at the hospital.

"I don't believe it. Scott can't really be with them. He can't be." She said with a shocked expression on her face.

"You didn't see the look on his face, though." I said.

"Then what can I do?" Lydia asked. "I mean, I get that I'm some kind of, like, human Geiger counter for death, but... I don't know how to turn it on and off yet. All I know is that she tried to kill me because of... " She trailed off.

"Because of what?" Stiles asked. "Hey, Lydia, what?"

"When she called me a banshee, she was surprised by it. What if that's not why she tried to kill me?"

"Then why did she?" I asked.

"That's what we need to find out." Lydia said. Lydia checked the time. "Guys, we gotta go to school.

We hopped in Stiles' Jeep, Lydia following behind us in her car.

We got to school and made our way to our first class. "Aiden's not texting me back." Lydia said, putting her phone back in her purse.

My phone vibrated then. My heart sank when I read the message. Stiles read it over my shoulder and I heard his heart rate spike and his breathing sped up.

"What?" Lydia asked, taking in our stunned expressions.

"Oh, God." Stiles muttered, his hands fluttering at his sides.

"What is it now?" Lydia asked again.

"It's from Isaac." I swallowed hard. "Jennifer, she t... she has Allison's father. She took him. She's got all three now."

Lydia's eyes widened. "There's still time. We still have time, right?"

I looked at Stiles, he wasn't just breathing hard, he was gasping, like he couldn't breath at all.

I stepped in front of him and took his hands in mine. "Stiles?" His eyes met mine but his gaze looked miles away. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "I think I'm having a panic attack."

I swore under my breath. School was the absolute worse place for Stiles to have a panic attack.

"Can I help at all?" Lydia asked.

I shook my head. "We'll see you later." I gently pulled Stiles down the hall, whispering reassurances as we went. 

I flung the door to the boys locker room open. Stiles let go of my hands and stumbled inside. I locked the door behind us. Stiles fell against the lockers with a loud clang and I winced as he slid to the floor, still gasping for air.

"Stiles, you need to breath." I said calmly. I've only been around Stiles once before while he had a panic attack and Scott was there with us as well.

"I-I can't" He was hyperventilating now.

"Hey, look at me." I said. He raised his eyes to look at me, tears welling up. I squeezed his hands. "Breath with me. In for 8, hold for 8, out for 8, okay?"

He nodded and I counted as he took in shaky breaths, slowly they settled back to a normal pace. Stiles sagged back against the locker, long legs sprawling out under him.

"Thank you." He whispered, still slightly breathless. "How'd you know to count the breathing?"

I smiled. "Well, I remembered that one panic attack you had around me and Scott and I felt bad that I didn't know how to help. So I looked it up."

Stiles took my hand in his and pulled me until I was sitting in the circle of his legs. "Why didn't you do your emotion thing?" He asked, his face muffled by my hair.

I fiddled with the zipper on his jacket. "I don't like always having to rely on it. And I don't know what it'll do if I try it while you're in the middle of a panic attack." Stiles hummed in response, running a hand through my hair.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's warmth. "Have you had anymore sessions with the guidance councilor?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Stiles lifted his head, I peered into his eyes and saw he had an idea. "Morrell." He said. We stood up and left the locker room. We ran into Lydia outside. 

"Are you okay?" She asked Stiles.

He nodded, thoughts of his panic attack forgotten as he focused on getting to Ms. Morrell's office.

Lydia followed behind us. "Where are we going?"

"Morrell is the alpha's embassy, she might have information about where our parents are." I explained as we walked.

Stiles pushed her office door open.

"Are you here for Ms. Morrell?" Stiles asked the girl in the chair waiting.

"No, I thought this was gym class." She snarked back.

"Sweetheart, we're not in the mood for funny. Do you know where she is?" Lydia said.

"If I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for 20 minutes. So how about you three back out the door and wait your turn?"

"We're not here for a session." 

"Well, I am. And I've got some serious issues to work on." She replied.

I turned around then and realized why the voice sounded familiar, it was Danielle. "Hey, wait, wait. You're Danielle. You're Heather's best friend." Stiles said.

"I was Heather's best friend. We've been working on that issue three times a week." Danielle said.

"Hold on, did you say Ms. Morrell's 20 minutes late?" Lydia asked.

"And I don't know why either. She's always on time."

"I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester. She was never late."

"Then she's not late. She's missing." I said.

"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?" Lydia asked.

"Then I want to know what she knows." Stiles said as he began pulling her desk drawers open.

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked.

"Trying to find her." Stiles replied, flicking through file folders.

"Those files are private." Danielle said.

"Yeah, she's kind of right." Lydia said.

Stiles pulled out a folder and handed it to Lydia. "That one's yours."

Lydia took it from him. "Let me see that." Lydia opened the folder on the desk. Danielle moved closer as Lydia flicked the pages aside. Over and over again was the doodle of the tree Lydia liked to draw.

"Wait, Lydia, that's your drawing." Stiles pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. It's a tree." She said like it was the most obvious thing.

"Yeah, good too." Danielle said.

Lydia gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

"No. But that's the same one, though." Stiles said and I saw what he meant.

"Same as what?" Lydia asked.

"The same one I always see you drawing in class." Stiles shut the desk drawer and stood up.

"It's a tree. I like drawing trees."

"No, but it's the exact same one. Don't you see?" Stiles said. "Give me your bag." He took out Lydia's notebook and flicked through the pages. The branches on all the drawings were identical. "There, see?"

"Okay, you can have my session. You got bigger issues." Danielle said as she picked up her bag and left.

"What is this." Lydia asked, sounding really freaked out.

I picked up the journal, the page Stiles had left it on had the tree drawn on the very bottom of the page. I stared at it a little longer. I reached out and flipped the journal upside down. The drawing now resembled roots.

Stiles met my gaze. "I know where they are. It's the Nemeton. That's where she's keeping them. It has to be..."

"Nemeton?" Lydia asked as we left the office.

We rounded the corner and were met with the very tall form of Agent McCall. "Stilinski." He said.

"Agh." Stiles said. He spun around to Lydia. "All right, look, go to Derek, okay? He and Peter, they've been there before, so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, all right? They'll know." He instructed in a quiet voice. Lydia nodded and hurried down the hallway.

He gestured for Stiles to follow him into an empty classroom. I tried following but he turned to face me. "Just Stiles."

I scoffed. "What? Are you gonna give him the "If you hurt my kid I'll hurt you" speech? Because I'm pretty sure Mom instilled the fear of God in him months ago."

It looked like he was resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Just give me a few minutes." 

I huffed. "Fine." He closed the door and I sat on the floor next to it. I pulled a textbook out and pretended to read it as I listened in on their conversation.

"Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?" Rafael asked.

"No." Stiles replied. "What does that mean?"

"It means he's officially missing. Stiles, why am I getting the feeling you know something that could help us find your dad?"

"If I did, why would I not tell you?"

"If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?" 

"So you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?" Stiles said and I furrowed my brow.

"First, I have no idea what you just said." I heard Rafael ask. "Second, how about you just help me help you?"

"Well, I don't know how to help you help me tell you something that would help you if I don't know it."

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

"I don't know anything, okay? Can I just go?"

"Where are your other friends?"

"You mean Scott?" Stiles asked.

"I mean Scott. I mean Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent, these twins Ethan and Aiden. I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today." Agent McCall said.

"I don't have a clique."

"Stiles, come on. There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months, several murders tied to this school. I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious. And... hey. Your dad is missing. Fine. But I don't want you going home alone. You have someone you can stay with tonight?"

Deaton had showed up as I listened to Agent McCall interrogate Stiles. He helped me to my feet and opened the classroom door. "He's with me." Deaton said.

Rafael sighed and gestured for Stiles to leave. We hurried after Deaton.

We all met up at the vet clinic. Stiles, Allison, Isaac, Lydia, Deaton and myself. 

"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die." Stiles explained as we all stood around the exam table.

"My dad and Gerard were there once." Allison said. "But Gerard said it was years ago, and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now."

"Yeah, mine either."

"Then how do we find this place?" I asked.

Deaton entered the room. "There might be a way. But it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott."

I texted Scott, saying we had a way to find our parents. He responded immediately to meet him at the Preserve. Oh, so that got him to text back.

Stiles, Deaton and I hopped into the Jeep, as Allison, Lydia and Isaac went to get the supplies Deaton asked for.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"How'd you guys find out?" Scott asked as we got out of the Jeep.

"Lydia." I said. "You?"

"Morrell. None of the other alphas know where it is either." Scott said.

"So if this works, are you gonna tell them?" Stiles asked.

"I can't stop Jennifer without them." Scott replied and I sighed. I hated the idea of Scott working with the alphas.

"How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?" Deaton interjected.

"What's the plan?" Scott asked.

"Essentially, you, Allison, and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents." Deaton explained.

"We die for them?" Scott asked.

"But he can bring us back." Stiles said, "You can... you can bring us back, right?" 

"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton said and I hated this idea more and more by the second. "If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds, but there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous thing for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet. It attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill the pages of a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon."

"Doesn't sound any worse than anything we've already seen." Stiles said.

"You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see."

"Is that it?" Scott asked.

"No. It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it every day for the rest of your lives. It'll be a kind of a darkness around your heart, and permanent, like a scar." Deaton explained.

"Like a tattoo." Scott muttered and Deaton nodded.

We went back to the clinic. Lydia, Allison and Isaac were dumping bags and bags of ice into 3 metal tubs, similar to what we used when Deaton pulled the memory from Isaac a few weeks before.

I pulled Stiles off to the side.

"Stiles, are you sure about this?" I asked, my voice thick with unshed tears. A few escaped down my cheeks . "I’m being such a big baby about this, you’re the one who has to actually do it.” I said wiping my tears away. "How are you feeling?"

Stiles’ hands fluttered restlessly at his sides. "Honestly?" He took in a deep breath. "I’m terrified."

I arched up and gently pressed my lips to his. He sighed and pulled away. He went to join Scott and Allison at the tubs.

Deaton came to stand by me. "Juliet, I hope you don't think I asked Scott to be in place of your mom and not you simply because you're adopted?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all."

Deaton smiled. "Good, I need you here, to be Stiles' anchor." 

I looked over to where Stiles was, his hands moving restlessly again and he couldn't seem to stand still. I knew he was nervous.

"Of course."

"All right. What did you bring?" Deaton asked as we entered the exam room.

"Um, I got my dad's badge." Stiles said, running his fingers over the bent metal. "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great."

"Well, it doesn't need to look good if it has meaning."

"Is that an actual silver bullet?" Isaac asked Allison.

"My dad made it." She said turning it over in her hands. "It's kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code."

"Scott?" Deaton asked.

Scott held up the watch he was holding. "My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in their marriage that ever worked."

"Okay, the three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially... Well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back, someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether." Deaton explained. I squeezed Stiles' hand as the three of them went over to the tubs. I stood behind Stiles, Lydia went with Allison, and Deaton with Scott. Isaac stood off to the side observing.

Scott, Stiles and Allison got in, the three of them gasping as the ice water prickled their skin. I gave Stiles' shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he lowered himself fully into the tub.

"By the way," Stiles said, looking over to where Scott was shivering. "If I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something. Your dad's in town."

Scott looked like that was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. Deaton looked at Lydia and I and nodded. We pushed, sliding the three of them under. The water bit at my hands, feeling like a thousand tiny needles stabbing me. I couldn't even imagine feeling this over my whole body.

I hated seeing Stiles' face under the water. He didn't thrash nearly as much as Isaac had. When the three of them stopped moving, their heartbeats so slow now, we pulled our hands back, my hands now completely numbed. 

I felt like sobbing, but I held it in. Deaton looked at Lydia and I. "Now we wait." 


	12. Chapter 12

Deaton said they should only be out for a few minutes at max. But a few minutes turned into a few hours.

Which turned into 16 hours.

I had gone out to Stiles' Jeep and fell asleep in the backseat, wrapped up in the blanket he kept in the trunk. 

When I woke, it wasn't slow. I bolted up, feeling like I was choking. I flung the blanket off and rushing inside. Deaton looked up from his office chair. "Juliet, is there a problem?" He asked.

I realized I was breathing heavily. "Have they woken up yet?"

He shook his head. I made my way into the exam room, where the three tubs sat. Lydia was in there keeping watch. I was about to sink down into a chair when Scott, Stiles and Allison all sat upright, coughing and gasping for air, water dripping everywhere as they got out of the tubs

I ran to Stiles, wrapping my arms around his chilled torso. He sat on the edge of the tub, shivering violently. Deaton and Isaac had hurried into the room.

"I saw it. I know where it is." Scott said.

"We passed it. There's-- There's a stump, this huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though, very big." Stiles said, pushing his wet hair back off his forehead as I clung to him.

"It was the night we were looking for the body." Scott said to Stiles and I.

"Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter."

"I was there too, in the car with my mother. We almost hit someone." Allison said.

"It was me." Scott said. "You almost hit me." Scott looked to Deaton. "We can find it."

Deaton looked between the three of them, a worried look on his face. "What?" Allison asked.

"You guys were out a long time." I said quietly.

"How long is a long time?" Stiles asked.

"16 hours." Deaton said. The three of them let out a breath, like they couldn't believe it.

"We've been in the water for 16 hours?" Scott asked, shocked.

Deaton nodded. "And the full moon rises in less than four."

Lydia handed everyone towels. I untangled myself from Stiles and he rubbed furiously at his hair, making it stick up in all directions. He started pacing. I knew it was a bad time to think this, but the way Stiles' wet shirt clung to him really showed off his muscly chest and arms.

Scott mentioned going back to Deucalion

"No, dude, you are not going back with them." Stiles said, as he sat back down next to me. I gripped his hand tightly. It felt like if I wasn't touching him, he'd disappear.

"I made a deal with Deucalion." Scott said.

"Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?"

"Why does it matter, anyway?" Isaac said, he was sitting next to Allison, her towel clutched tightly around her body.

"Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help." Scott replied.

"He trusts you more than anyone." Allison said to Deaton. "Tell him he's wrong."

"I'm not so sure he is. Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies." Deaton said.

"So we're gonna trust him, the guy that calls himself death, destroyer of worlds? We're gonna trust that guy?" Isaac said and I nodded. He wasn't wrong, giving yourself a name like that was ridiculous.

"I wouldn't trust him, no, But you could use him to your advantage. Deucalion may be the enemy, but he could also be the bait." Deaton said.

The front door to the clinic creaked open then. Deaton got up to see who it was. "I'm looking for Lydia." Ethan's voice said.

Lydia walked around the corner. "What do you want?" I got up to join her.

"I need your help." He replied.

Stiles and Scott had followed. "With what?" Stiles asked.

"Stopping my brother and Kali... from killing Derek." 

"How?" Lydia asked.

"Come with me to Derek's. We need to tell them to run before Kali gets there." Ethan said.

Lydia considered this for a second. "Alright." She said. She picked up her bag and followed Ethan outside.

"The rest of us, need to go to our houses and get stuff with our parents' scents on them." Scott said.

"Stiles and I will go to our houses." I said. 

Scott nodded. Allison stood up. "We can go to my apartment, pick up something and gather some weapons."

There was a flurry of activity as we all rushed out to the different vehicles. 

I drove. Stiles was still shivering from the ice bath. I cranked the heat up as high as the Jeep would allow before it crapped out. I was sweating my ass off but I was relieved when Stiles stopped shivering.

We stopped by his house first, he ran upstairs to change into dry clothes and then went to his dad's room to rummage around in his laundry basket.

He called Scott. "Scott, what should I get?"

"Just grab anything?" I heard Scott reply.

"Boxers?" Stiles said, dumping the basket on the floor. I grimaced. Gross.

"Stiles, I'm not smelling your dad's boxers." Scott said.

I picked up a sock and threw it at Stiles. "Socks?" Stiles asked.

"Socks? Okay, I'll smell the socks." Scott said and hung up.

We rushed back to the Jeep and spent a solid 2 minutes at my house. I sprinted upstairs, grabbed one of shirts Mom wears on one of her rare days off and ran back out to the Jeep.

A storm had started as we drove, the wind pushed against the Jeep, Stiles had to fight to keep it under control.

"So," I started as we drove. "What did you guys see while under?" 

Stiles bit his lip and seemed to consider the question. "I'm sorry." I said quickly. "You don't have to talk about it."

Stiles reached over and took my hand in his. "No, I want to. It was um, a long white room. And there was a big tree stump in the middle. When I touched it, I went back to the night we snuck out to find that half body."

I squeezed his hand. "The night Scott was bit." 

He nodded. "It's like I was watching myself. I watched as my dad hauled me away back to my car, leaving you and Scott stranded in the woods, and then I stumbled back and ran into the stump. Suddenly I knew where to find it."

"That's incredible." I said.

The wind and rain was so crazy now, we could barely see the road, I knew we were close to the preserve now. Violent rain slashed against the windshield. The headlights barely cut through the haze. 

The Jeep went down a hill, inside the preserve now as the road changed to dirt. A branch scraped against the side of the Jeep and Stiles fought with the wheel. 

There was a split second of illumination as lightning flashed overhead and I gasped. "Stiles!" I cried out, but it was too late. I braced my arms against the dashboard. 

The front of the Jeep smashed into a tree, throwing us around. My head slammed against the window, something snapped loudly, and I'm pretty sure I lost consciousness for a moment.

I opened my eyes, feeling woozy. I turned my head, it seemed to happen in slow motion, and I took in the sight of Stiles slumped in his seat, a trail of blood down his forehead.

I fought to unbuckle myself.

I stumbled out of the Jeep, almost throwing up from pain. I wretched Stiles' door open, catching him as his body almost slid out. I gently propped him up, unbuckling his seat belt. 

"Stiles." I mumbled, feeling tears spring to my eyes. I could hear his heartbeat, it was steady, but I was worried about the blood on his face. "Stiles please. I can't lose anyone else to car accidents." 

I gently pat his face to wake him up. I didn't wanna move him in case anything was broken. "Stiles, my love, please." I pleaded. 

"We're using pet names now?" He muttered and I let out a small, tear filled laugh.

"Yes, call me whatever you want. Is anything broken?" I asked, hands sliding over his face.

He opened his eyes and flexed his hands, moved his legs, twisted in the seat to face me. "No, everything seems fine."

He got out of the Jeep, the wind whipping our clothes around us. "Good, because I think my shoulder is dislocated." I said, I hadn't felt the pain at first, the worry over Stiles had overpowered the pain, but now it settled as a dull ache.

"Oh god." he replied.

"You're gonna have to push it back into place.

He shook his head furiously. "Nope I can't, I'll pass out again.

I gritted my teeth as the bone scraped against the other. "Stiles, please." My voice was a pained whine.

He swallowed hard. "Okay, on three." He pressed one hand on either side of my shoulder joint. "One, two-" He pushed hard, I cried out with pain as the bone pushed past the other and slammed back into place.

"I thought you said on three." I said, panting hard.

"It was on three!" He insisted loudly over the howling wind.

"I thought it would be one two three then push, not one two then push."

"Well excuse me for not clarifying. It’s in place isn’t it."

I rolled my arm around, wincing at the slight lingering pain.

"Yeah, it’s good."

"Do you smell any gas?" He asked.

I inhaled deeply and shook my head when all I could smell were the usual forest smells, wet decaying leaves, the peeling bark of nearby trees.

"Good." He said, digging around in the truck and pulling out a metal baseball bat. "The Jeep shouldn’t spontaneous combust while we’re gone."

I took hold of his hand, him leading us to the nemeton, and towards our missing parents. 

After a while of half walking half jogging in the storm, I stopped. I looked up and saw the moon darkening. I tried sliding my claws out, nothing happened. I focused harder, on fully shifting now. Nothing. 

"What?" Stiles asked, turning to face me.

There was a hollow ache in my chest, like a piece of me was missing. "The eclipse is starting." I said over the wind. "I can't shift." I guess a lunar eclipse took away werewolf powers.

I knew Scott had a plan to use the eclipse against Deucalion, I really hope his plan was going well.

"If this weren't a life or death situation, I would have loved to explore this." Stiles said. We started walking again.

"What, you mean you be the stronger one for once?" I teased.

"Exactly." 

Stiles squinted. "There!" He yelled. I looked to where he was pointing, up ahead was a large tree stump. Through the storm I could see the ground shaking around it. 

We rushed around it and I located the cellar doors, blown open by the storm. I flung myself down into the opening, I almost twisted my leg on a set of destroyed stairs. Mom, The Sheriff, Chris, Allison and Isaac were all in there, struggling under the weight of the ceiling as it collapsed over them. 

"Juliet!" Mom cried. I raised my hands up, pushing against the beams. Under normal circumstances, Isaac and I should be able to hold this much weight easily. 

"It's too heavy!" Allison cried out.

Stiles slid in, placing the metal bat under a beam between the floor and ceiling. The room stopped shaking and we all cautiously let go. The bat held the weight. 

"I always said aluminum was better than wood." The Sheriff said and we all let out a laugh. Stiles threw his arms around his dad.

I spun to Mom and hugged her tight. The room still crumbled and shook around us, but the bat held.

The eclipse ended, and I inhaled sharply as I felt my strength return, as well as my empath power. The moods of everyone was tense and terrified. But also relieved. The room stopped shaking, the storm outside even calmed down.

Stiles' phone rang and he dug it out. "Scott?"

"Hey, are you okay?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, we're okay. We're all okay. How about you, you okay?" Stiles asked.

"Sort of." Scott replied.

I took the phone from Stiles. "You think you can come get us?" The cellar smelt really bad and it was beginning to feel cramped with this many people in it.

"Yeah, of course." Scott said.

Stiles took the phone back. "Great, okay. Um, uh, bring a ladder." Everyone let out a laugh, like they all needed a little humour.

Scott arrived soon after. He did bring a ladder. Mom, Stiles, his dad and I made the long walk back to Stiles' car. Mom said she rather be sacrificed then ever get on Scott's bike.

Scott laughed and hopped on. Isaac followed Allison and her dad went to Allison's car, where she left it at the preserve's other entrance.

With Stiles directing me, I moved the Jeep out of the rut it had fallen in. It was a struggle, the Jeep was heavy even for me.

As we drove, me in the back with Mom and John up front with Stiles, the Sheriff turned to me and said. "So, you're really a werewolf?"

I smiled and slid my claws out slowly. "Yep."

"But you weren't bit like Scott?"

I shook my head. "No, both my birth parents were wolves, Mom was born a wolf, Dad was bit. Together they made me."

He nodded. "So um, have you ever, you know, lost control and almost hurt Stiles?"

"Dad!" Stiles sounded mortified.

I laughed. "No, never. Stiles is my anchor."

"Anchor?" Mr. Stilinski asked. Mom definitely told him things while they were stuck in the basement but I guess she didn't get that far.

"Anchors keep us tied to our humanity, keep us from going on crazy murder rages." I said, Stiles glanced at me over his shoulder and smiled.

The Sheriff nodded thoughtfully, "Good, because if you hurt him-"

"You'll arrest me?" I suggested with a smile.

"No, I'll hire Argent and have him take you out." The Sheriff said with a teasing smile.

"DAD!" Stiles yelled even louder.

I giggled. "That's a good plan."

Stiles dropped Mom and I off at home, Scott's bike was already parked in the driveway. I gave Stiles' shoulder a squeeze as we got out.

"I'm going to sleep for a week." Mom declared as she trudged up the stairs.

I went into Scott's room, his hair was wet from a shower and he was sitting at his desk. "How'd it go?" I asked quietly, sitting down on his bed.

Isaac came in to join us, leaning against the door frame. "Um, well Deucalion slashed Jennifer's throat, but when we went back for her body, it was gone." Scott said, as he turned in his chair to face us.

"That's concerning." I said. 

Scott shook his head. "I don't think she'll be trouble anymore.

"What about Deucalion, is he dead?" Isaac asked.

"No, Derek and I let him go."

"You what!" I yelled, standing up. 

"He promised he wouldn't kill anyone else." Scott said.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, because a guy like that will just suddenly change his ways."

"Juliet, you just have to trust me." Scott said and I sighed.

"Fine."

"Also," Scott said hesitantly. His eyes flicked up to Isaac and I, his irises were glowing a bright red. 

I gasped. "So, you're officially a true alpha?" 

Scott nodded, the colour bleeding away until his eyes were his regular dark brown. 

I smiled and sat back down on the bed. "That's so cool, I've never been part of a pack before."

"So, do we have to start doing everything you ask?" Isaac asked.

Scott shrugged. I scoffed. "Yeah, as if we're just gonna suddenly start doing that." 

Scott laughed and threw a pencil at me. I dodged it and rolled off the bed. "I'm gonna go call Stiles."

I hopped back into my room. I showered quickly and changed into a pair of Stiles' pajamas. I slid under the covers and called him. "How's your dad?" I asked when he answered.

"Uh, good. He managed to shower and get half dressed before falling asleep."

"Good." I said.

"Not good, he only dressed his top half, I saw more of my dad than I ever needed to see." Stiles said and I laughed. "Seriously, I'm scarred for life!"

"I'm sure you'll recover." I said with a smile. "So, how do you feel?"

Stiles hesitated for a second. "Fine." He said.

"Really? You don't feel any kind of darkness inside, like Deaton mentioned?"

"Nope." Stiles yawned. "I'm exhausted, I'll pick you up for school in the morning."

I groaned. "Ugh, school." We said our goodbyes and hung up. I rolled over, and let sleep consume me.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
We got to school, it felt strange to be here, after everything that happened. Everything seemed so normal, so ordinary.

I spotted Lydia and Aiden talking and flirting by the lockers. Danny and Ethan holding hands as they walked down the hall. Allison and Isaac were laughing as they walked down the stairs. I noticed Scott smiling as he watched them all as well.

I broke away from Stiles and ran at Scott. He didn't notice me until I wrapped my arms around him. Stiles joined me and clapped Scott on the shoulder.

I knew with this soul darkening, Scott, Stiles and Allison would be out of sorts for a while, needing reassurance that everything would be okay. I was prepared to use every fiber of my being to help comfort them in the upcoming weeks.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
A week later, I sat in bed reading, ironically, Romeo and Juliet. The school had found a new English teacher and they had quickly moved us into Shakespearean plays. I had groaned at the idea of having to hear my name said out loud over and over again but secretly, I really enjoyed Romeo and Juliet.

Pain sliced through my head, I cried out, it felt like a stake was being pushed into both of my eyes. I squeezed them tightly. My head was filled with an overwhelming amount of feelings. I had no idea where it was coming from, usually I had to be standing close to someone to be able to get a gauge on their emotions. But this was like the entirety of Beacon Hills was at my house, releasing their emotions onto me.

I stumbled off the bed and staggered into the bathroom. I threw up in the toilet, I sagged back against the wall, breathing heavily. Another wave of pain shot up. More emotions, everything from chest crushing grief, to light as air bliss, swirling around me. I shuddered and took my phone out. Looking at the screen made my head hurt. I called Stiles.

"What's up?" He asked.

I took a breath to tell him, but instead threw up again. 

"Juliet." He sounded concerned now. "What's wrong?"

"Pain. It hurts." I managed to gasp out.

I heard rustling over the phone. "Is it wolfsbane? Where are you?" He asked. I heard his keys jangling.

"I'm home, don't think it's wolfsbane."

"Okay, I'll be there soon." He said and hung up.

I threw up twice more before Stiles showed up.

He found me curled in a ball on my bathroom floor, crying and writhing as more pain shot through me. 

"Juliet," He whispered, brushing my hair back from my sweaty face. "What is it?"

I managed to sit up, Stiles sat next to me and I rested my head on his shoulder. "Dunno, I was doing homework, and suddenly there was pain and I couldn't breath and it's like I was feeling the emotions of everyone in Beacon Hills at once."

Stiles stroked my hair. More emotions swirled around in my head, my stomach heaved but I held it back. "It hurts so much." I whispered, wanting the pain to stop.

"I'm calling Deaton." Stiles said, taking his phone out.

I let myself float, focusing on Stiles and not the thoughts in my head.

"Come on," Stiles said, standing and helping me up. My stomach rolled but I stumbled back into bed. Stiles cleared away my binders and textbooks and I huddled under the covers.

Deaton showed up in my room then. "What's going on?" He asked.

"She called me, saying how much pain she's in and that she can feel everyone's emotions at once." Stiles explained.

Deaton sat down on the edge of my bed. "Interesting. I think when the nemeton was reactivated, you absorbed some of its power as well."

"So what, because I was there that night with Scott, Stiles and technically Allison, the nemeton's newfound power is affecting me too?" I said.

Deaton nodded. "Looks to be that way, yes."

I groaned and fell back against my pillows. "Okay, well can you tell the stupid magic tree to be quiet, feeling every emotion in Beacon Hills has given me my first migraine."

Deaton patted my knee and stood up. "Try getting some rest, Juliet." He left.

I sighed. "Yeah I'll get right on that."

Stiles had left and came back upstairs, he passed me the glass of water he was holding. I drank half it down and set the glass down on my side table.

Stiles sat on the bed next to me and laced our fingers together. "What if we try counting? Like how you did when I had that panic attack." He suggested in a low voice.

The pain had become a dull ache in the back of my skull. "But this isn't a panic attack." I said.

Stiles licked his lips and turned to face me better. "Yeah but what if the counting, like, helps you focus and you try blocking out the noise?"

"Sure, I'll try anything at this point."

Stiles moved to sit in front of me, legs crossed under him and took both of my hands in his. "Okay, I'll count, you close your eyes, breath and focus on pushing the noise out."

I closed my eyes, breathing in and out as Stiles counted in a quiet voice. The emotions were overwhelming again. Feeling every single person who was sad, depressed, angry, worried, anxious. The copious amounts of horny people, probably coming from the clubs downtown. 

I screwed my eyes shut, the pain felt like someone was stabbing a knife into my head. "Juliet," Stiles' voice came, cutting through the haze. "Focus." 

I exhaled and thought about pushing, just pushing the emotions away, willing them to go. Just go and stay away until I asked them to return. The pain receded and I gasped. My eyes flew open, I could see the yellow gold of my wolf eyes reflecting in Stiles'. 

Stiles looked skeptical. "Did it work?" He asked.

I beamed at him, feeling tears of relief spring to my eyes. "Yes." I said in a whisper. I flung my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

A car drove past outside, the driver's mood was annoyed, like he rather be home that out driving. I pulled back from Stiles. He looked confused.

"I felt the mood of the driver in that car." I muttered. "I've never been able to sense people's moods from that far away."

Stiles looked like he had an idea. "Can you, go searching for moods now?" He asked.

I closed my eyes, letting my subconscious flow out, searching for familiar presences. I caught on one, Scott. He was bored at work, Deaton probably had him sweeping the floors, he hated doing that.

"I can feel Scott." I said, opening my eyes.

Stiles' gaze was bright, like this idea excited him. "Try another."

I focused again, knowing in my minds eye that I was at Lydia's. "Lydia, she's uh, about to engage in sexual activities." I focused harder. "With Aiden."

Stiles pulled his phone out and called Lydia. She sounded annoyed and out of breath when she answered. "What,"

"Are you with Aiden?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah why?" She replied but Stiles hung up. Now her mood was horny, and a little confused.

"That's so cool." Stiles said.

Stiles moved so he could slide us both under the covers. He bundled me up in his arms, holding me to his chest and I couldn't help but think:

Okay nemeton, what else can you throw at us.


End file.
